Job 39

Trust the Wonder You Don’t Understand

“Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?” ~ Job 39:19

There are parts of life that just don’t make sense with timing, delays, sudden changes, or unanswered questions. Sometimes, our human need to understand everything can keep us from trusting the One who made everything.

Job 39 is filled with questions God asked Job about creation. One by one, God pointed out the strength of the horse, the wildness of the ox, the independence of the mountain goat, and the flight of the hawk. These are not random examples. Each one is a reminder that God designed the world with intricate detail and deep intention, all without needing Job’s or anyone’s help. He doesn’t just move in what we can explain, He also has His hand in what we can’t even grasp.

When I was young I thought I had life all figured out, but in one sudden decision, everything seemed to be falling apart. I had prayed, prepared, and though I moved forward in faith, only to feel like I was met with a closed door. I questioned God’s timing. Why now? Why like this? Then one day, as I sat on the edge of my porch staring off into the distance, I watched a bird soar across the sky. It seemed to fly looked effortless.  That’s when I remembered how God mentioned the hawk in this scripture. “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom?” No!  It flies by God’s design. That day, the Holy Spirit reminded me: “You don’t have to understand everything. You just have to trust Me.”

Here are a few practical ways you can trust God when you don’t understand:

1. Acknowledge what is out of your control.

Make a short list of the things you’re trying to figure out right now. Next to each one, write: “God understands.” Let go of the pressure to explain what only God can see.  Remember that as you commit these things to Him, He is working on them until they are turned for good.

Pray, “Lord, I give You the parts of my life I can’t control. Show me how to trust Your design over my own understanding.”

2. Celebrate the wonder of His creation.

God used nature in this chapter to show His strength and wisdom. Sometimes, remembering how great He is, reminds us of how small our worries really are.

Step outside today and take in the details of God’s creation. Watch a bird fly, feel the breeze, notice the rhythm of nature. Let it be a personal reminder that God holds it all together.

3. Surrender the need for all the answers.

Job wasn’t given an explanation, he was given a revelation of God’s design and power. God didn’t answer all his “why” questions, but He reminded him who is holding all things together.

Write out your own prayer that begins, “God, I don’t know why… but I trust that You do.” Let that become your daily confession.

Today I want to encourage you to recognize that Job 39 doesn’t solve the mystery of suffering, but it does shift the perspective. It reminds us that the God who gives the horse its strength and teaches the eagle to soar is also the One who is guiding your life. If He can direct creation without your help, He can certainly guide your steps with His wisdom. Even when you don’t understand what’s ahead, you can trust that He is working all things together for your good.

Today’s Scripture Reading: Job 39

1 “Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?

2 Do you know how many months they carry their young? Are you aware of the time of their delivery?

3 They crouch down to give birth to their young and deliver their offspring.

4 Their young grow up in the open fields, then leave home and never return.

5 “Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes?

6 I have placed it in the wilderness; its home is the wasteland.

7 It hates the noise of the city and has no driver to shout at it.

8 The mountains are its pastureland, where it searches for every blade of grass.

9 “Will the wild ox consent to being tamed? Will it spend the night in your stall?

10 Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow? Will it plow a field for you?

11 Given its strength, can you trust it? Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?

12 Can you rely on it to bring home your grain and deliver it to your threshing floor?

13 “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.

14 She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust.

15 She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them.

16 She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn’t care if they die.

17 For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding.

18 But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.

19 “Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?

20 Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust? Its majestic snorting is terrifying!

21 It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength when it charges out to battle.

22 It laughs at fear and is unafraid. It does not run from the sword.

23 The arrows rattle against it, and the spear and javelin flash.

24 It paws the ground fiercely and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows.

25 It snorts at the sound of the horn. It senses the battle in the distance. It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.

26 “Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south?

27 Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest?

28 It lives on the cliffs, making its home on a distant, rocky crag.

29 From there it hunts its prey, keeping watch with piercing eyes.

30 Its young gulp down blood. Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”

Journal:

• What is one situation in your life right now that doesn’t make sense?
• How can you release it into the hands of the God who made the wild things and directs them with perfect wisdom?