Instruct God?

Instruct God?

by Patricia Dailey
Senior Pastor, Bethel Revival Center
43 Norwood St.
Everett, MA 02149

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Contending with God

Job 40:1,2
Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

God was really dealing with Job. In Job 38 to 39 He challenged Job by asking him questions about His Almighty works. Then in Job 40 He asks, "Shall he that contends with the Almighty instruct Him? He that reproves God, let him answer it."

We've got to be very careful that we don't contend with God. Sometimes when we're going through a hard time, we might have some strivings with God, we might struggle in our faith, we might argue with God and demand an answer: but we ought not to do this.

Job 9:1-3
Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? If he will contend with Him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand.

How can one be righteous in contending with God? Job knew we can't be, yet in chapters 38 and 39 the Lord had to deal with him about this very thing. The Lord reminded Job that he wasn't around when these wondrous works were created . . . and neither were we!

Isaiah 45:9
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

We read in God's Word of His being the Creator of all things:

Genesis1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Hebrews 11:3
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

We didn't instruct the Lord when He created the heavens and the earth, but I believe we often try to instruct Him as to how to answer our prayers. Listen, God doesn't need anyone's instruction. We are the ones who need to have Him instruct us.

God knows what He is doing at all times, and He always does the right thing. We, on the other hand, don't always do the right thing and often have to be instructed.

Instructing God

Job 40:3,4
Then Job answered the Lord, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

Job looked bad in his own eyes. He realized he had uttered things that he didn't understand, things he knew not, and he repented before God.

We're no different than Job was. There are times when we, too, utter things we really don't understand. We have to be careful when we're going through hard trials and dark places in this life. We could be sinning by the things we say in such a time, uttering things we don't understand. We don't understand why God allows this or that in our lives, why He hasn't done this or that — and we may never fully understand.

Realize that God knows what He is doing at all times, even though we may not understand or know. We should take it into consideration that there are times when we are attempting to instruct God, uttering things that we have no knowledge of.

This could very well be. After all, if it happened to Job, it could also happen to us. I don't believe Job is the only one who is guilty of uttering things he didn't understand. And I think that sometimes we may think we understand when we really don't.

Job Repented

We want to see here in the book of Job that because he realized he had been striving with the Lord, saying things he didn't understand, that he repented in dust and ashes.

Now, we know in the beginning, when the story of Job starts, that God says Job was perfect and upright, one that feared God and eschewed evil. Job loved God. He really loved God. And, as you read his life, you read of all his wonderful works: He didn't hold back his riches, but made sure that the widows and fatherless were provided for, that the needy were taken care of:

Job 29:12-16
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

Job did all this from his heart.

You know, when we find ourselves in trials of long duration and in dark periods of time in our life, we might say things that could bring us into the place that Job found himself in. We, too, may have to repent and turn to the Lord for forgiveness. We may have uttered things, many times, that we really had no understanding of. I believe God wants us to be aware of this so we'll be more careful with our words.

Many times we face things where we say, "I just don't understand!" And that's true, we don't understand. We're not lying when we say that. We don't understand God's ways, don't understand the way He sometimes works.

God does work in mysterious ways. My, when you look into the Old Testament and see some of the things He had the prophets do, who are we to tell God what He should do and what He shouldn't do?

The Lord had spoken to Job out of the whirlwind, making him to realize that he had to make things right.

God's Unlimited Knowledge and Ability

Job 42:2
I know that Thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from Thee.

Yes, God can do everything. Man limits God many times. Man, in himself, is limited as to what he can do, but God is unlimited; He is all powerful.

Jeremiah 32:17
Ah Lord God! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee

Yes, God is all powerful. Nothing is too difficult for Him to do. When we look at His creation round about us, we see so much beauty. No matter where you go in this world you will see the beauty of His handiwork. Even in our nation, no matter which state you go to you will see such awesome things made by the Creator of all things.

Then, when you look beyond this world out into the universe! What you can see with your eye — the stars, the moon, the sunrise and sunset — all these show the beauties of His creation. Have you ever looked at a sunset with such beautiful colors? What about the moon? One night the moon was so large, I never saw it that size before!

And just think that our Maker made all these beautiful things. We wonder how He really did it. We know from Genesis where He spoke some things into existence, and that each thing He made He saw was good.

We didn't have to instruct God when He was creating. He knew exactly what to do. Yet, we do, at times, want to instruct God as to what He should do. We need to stop that and ask Him to guide us in praying, rather than our taking time to instruct Him as to what He should do.

"God, do it this way. God, do it right now. God, don't do that: Do this."

God has a way, and His way is not our way. And He has a time. Whatever way He wants to do something, and whenever He wants to do it, we should accept.

Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?

Is there anything too hard for God? We have to answer, and say, "No, there is nothing too hard for God." We should not put limits on God. God is not limited: Whatever way He wants to move He'll move. And we don't have to instruct Him. He knows what He wants to do; and whatever He does, He does well. He knows what He's doing at all times. He's always in control. Things never get out of control for Him. We may be out of control, but God is not out of control.

Yes, everything is in God's control, and under His control. We must not limit His power.

Don't Forget God's Wonders

Psalm 78:41,42
Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy.

In other words, the children of Israel had backslid. They limited God, not remembering what God had done for them when He delivered them from Pharaoh.

And there are times when we don't remember what God has done for us. We need to look back to Calvary and see what He did for us back there in delivering us from our enemy. And, in delivering us from the enemy, the enemy no longer has any control over our lives unless God permits him to touch us, like He did Job.

Consider all God had done for the children of Israel in bringing them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, through the wilderness! They walked on dry land through the Red Sea; they saw how God parted the waters. Yes, they saw many great things He did for them — such as when the water was bitter at Marah and God showed Moses to put a limb into the water, and it became sweet.

Now, you just take a limb of a tree and put it in some bitter water and see if the water becomes sweet. That had to be a miracle of God.

Israel saw miracle after miracle after miracle — and yet turned their backs on God and limited Him.

This is what happens many times when we fail to remember what the Lord has done for us. We ought to keep Calvary in mind to remind us what He has done for us. And we ought to let Him know we appreciate what He has done. We need to meditate on the cross, keeping it in memory. Jesus paid a great price to redeem us from the hand of the enemy: He shed His blood for the remission of our sins and bore stripes on His back for our healing.

He was willing to lay down His life so we could have life, and that more abundantly (see John 10:10). This abundant life includes every facet of our life. It's not only the spiritual part of our life, but also the physical.

So we see where Israel didn't remember what the Lord had done in delivering them from the bondage of the enemy.

Psalm 115:3
But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.

Psalm 135:6
Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

God has done whatsoever He has pleased, and He's going to continue doing whatever He pleases. There's no use of our trying to get Him to do otherwise, no use trying to order Him around.

God Knows Your Thoughts

Genesis 6:5
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of His heart was only evil continually.

God knows our thoughts. No thought can be hid from Him.

Mathew 9:4-7
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.

Jesus knew exactly what they had been thinking. Sometimes people will say, "I'm going to keep my mouth shut," while thinking the very thing they intended to say, failing to realize that God knows their thoughts as well as their words.

Psalm 139:2
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.

No matter what our thought life is, He knows exactly what we are thinking. Some have thoughts that are evil, thoughts that are lustful, thoughts of hatred and resentment. If we harbor evil thoughts in our mind, the devil will go to work with those thoughts. And when you open the door for the devil to take hold, you may be shocked at what you would do because of those thoughts.

If you allow thoughts of lust, the devil will drive you to fulfill that which you are thinking. This is the way the devil works. He's very subtle.

I Peter 5:8,9
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

We've got to be on guard. If an evil thought enters our mind, we need to ask the Lord to forgive us and get our minds on things that are pleasing to Him.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

If we think on these things, we will not get into trouble with God.

Luke 24:36-40
And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have. And when He had thus spoken, He showed them His hands and His feet.

Here we see again where the Lord knows our thoughts. He knows all about us (see see Psalm 139). Nothing is hidden from Him.

A Deeper Revelation of God

Job 42:5,6
I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Job had heard about God, but now he personally understood who God is. God had given Job a personal revelation of who He is. The Lord made it very clear to him that he had uttered things he didn't really understand about God, things too wonderful for him.

We thank God that Job left the testimony that he was able to see himself through God's revelation to him. He now saw God in a different light.

A revelation from God! This is what each of us needs: a revelation from God, so that we have a better understanding of who Jesus really is.

Oh, we know that He is the only begotten Son of God, that God sent Him into the world, that He did many miracles and showed much compassion, that He went to the cross to suffer and die so we could have our sins washed away, that He rose from the dead the third day, and because of that we can have everlasting life.

We know and understand all these facts about Jesus Christ, but we need to have a deeper revelation than this. We need to see Him in a greater way than we have ever seen Him before.

This is what I want the Lord to do for me. I want Him to let me see Him in a different light. I want Him to open the Scriptures to reveal Himself in a greater way.

We Need More Patience

Before He can give us such a revelation, He knows how to bring us face to face with those things we need to be dealt with about, things we need to repent of. We say too much when we are facing adversity: instructing God how to bring us through; instructing Him to do it quickly, to hurry up and help us to get over what we are facing.

We can't hurry God. It doesn't matter how much we may try, we cannot hurry God. He has a perfect timing, and when that time comes, His purposes will be done.

Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

We can pray that God will help us to have patience, to wait and hope to the victory, but we can not hurry Him to do it quickly. We'd like to, but we can't. So let's just trust Him and wait patiently until the answer comes.

Hebrews 10:36,37
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.