Costly Worship

As I enter this time of prayer, I repeat the words of Psalm 10:1, slowly, several times, making them my prayer to God:

‘Why, LORD, do you stand far off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?’

Pause and repeat

The biblical character Job is famous for his terrible, inexplicable suffering. Eventually, right at the end of his tragic story, God finally speaks to Job.

Pause to read the passage: Job 38:4-7

‘[In these verses] God rolls back the clouds to unveil an awesome vision that, far from diminishing Job’s expectations of His power, renders him speechless. God’s answer to Job’s archetypal cry of “Why?” is simply, “Look at Me” (see Job 38–41). “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you,” cries Job in awe, as if his sufferings have simply evaporated (42:5). The book of Job is therefore both the most frustrating and enlightening treatment of unanswered prayer in the Bible, because God’s solution to so much misery is ultimately to reveal His greatness’*

Why does God not answer Job’s actual questions? In what ways might God be wanting to reframe my questions instead of answering them?

Pause and reflect

Sovereign God, I acknowledge that my life is very, very small while You are infinitely great and ultimately in control. I choose to focus on Your power instead of my problems today by spending a little time now in worship.

Pause and pray

As I bring this time with God to a close, I pray the words of the hymn ‘When I Survey’ by Charles Wesley:

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ, my God.

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were an off’ring far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Amen.

* Pete Greig, God on Mute, David C Cook, (Colorado Springs, 2020), p71