Have You Looked Upon God (Lately)

I have heard so many things over the course of 57+ years from the churched, the unchurched, my parents, elders and one guy I grew up with and still live with today...myself. I've heard the coldness in every voice and felt it myself at times. I asked God what does He do with those who pray differently and who may not understand (which could go either way). He reminded me of His Word which says, "but GOD WORKS EVERYTHING TOGETHER...for the good of those who love Him". Some have even suggested God's work is "done". Well, maybe the decision to work it all together is "done" but the work that follows much surely be an ongoing one. I've heard emotions put down while intelligence is lifted up and intelligence dismissed in emotion but God gave us both. Shouldn't we use them...both?

I've confessed to others that I accused God in my complaining and disenchantment at times and they said I was stupid or arrogant. Sometimes I just wanted to get some kind of a response. I wanted to HEAR GOD! I was desperate! Well, I am still here today and forgiven and loved and still shown mercy, while the one(s) I confessed to stood accusing, judging, condemning. Folks, we serve a much bigger God than we really know. He LONGS for you to cry out to Him. Then He LONGS to answer you and lastly but certainly not least, He LONGS for us/you to return/repent to Him. Even if you have done NOTHING "wrong". God told Job, after all his complaining that..."After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has." (Job 42:7) Imagine that. AFTER Job did all his complaining God said Job spoke what was right while his three friends did not. I believe Job spoke out of emotion, but not until after he exhausted his reasoning/intelligence or whatever you want to call it, and God worked it all together for Job and blessed him with twice as much AFTER Job repented and confessed, "I know that you can do everything, that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. [You asked,] 'Who is this, hiding counsel, without having knowledge?' Yes, I spoke, without understanding, of wonders far beyond me, which I didn't know. "Please listen, and I will speak. [You said,] ' will ask questions; and you, give me answers'--I had heard about you with my ears, but now my eye sees you; therefore I detest [myself] and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:2-6 CJB)

With all of Jobs wisdom, knowledge, understanding, intelligence, reasoning, etc he could not answer God and was left with an emotional response of desperation. However, when Job's emotion took hold of him, he was first given Elihu and then God Himself took up or interrupted Elihu. GOD works all things together--PERIOD. Job was left with no "faith" to boast of, no "wisdom or understanding, or knowledge, or... but He not only HEARD the voice of God, Job SAW HIM. Whether it was a physical seeing or a realization that Job has none of the answers God asked of him we don't know. The point is Job had no answers for Elihu, and certainly no answers for God...even though he was able to answer his "friends". Sometimes we just need to CRY OUT to GOD and then SEE Him and KNOW He Is God! I wonder that we work ourselves into frenzies, when all we need to do is GAZE....upon God...again. As Elihu put it in Job 37:14 "Listen to this," ______________(put your name there, "Stop, and consider God's wonders". Gaze upon the cross and consider THAT wonder, put your hand over your mouth and...repent. It is good...refreshing...restorative and necessary for the blessings of God.