Hearing His Voice #266

The LORD answered Job from the whirlwind.

Job 38:1

FROM THE HEART OF GOD

“Job knew only destruction from the whirlwind. To him, it was the force that spun his life into a lengthy, dark confusion. For a time, I did not speak to him at all, but when I did, he needed to hear Me from the center of that force. He had to perceive My voice in the midst of his worst fears and most painful wounds. He needed Me to speak from the very source of His trials into the very wounds they created. He had to experience Me in the depths.

“This is often where you will hear Me clearest. I rarely provide answers and solutions that skirt the issues of your life. I much prefer to step into the midst of them and speak to you there. Wherever your pain is more raw and real than you ever thought it would be, that’s where I need to heal. It’s a deep healing, and not a comfortable one. You would prefer never to have felt the pain to begin with. But in the end, you will find that the benefit of experiencing Me there is greater than the cost. Only those who meet Me in the depths can know Me deeply. But you can’t meet Me there unless something took you there.

“A superficial life can know Me only superficially. A life devoid of whirlwinds can never overcome them. You can’t experience the peace and joy of My throne room unless you’ve passed through the lightning and thunder and clouds that surround it. So know this: If you have experienced deep pain yet found yourself inexplicably clinging to your trust in Me, you have been specially chosen. You have been called to a deeper knowledge. You may not like that, but you will benefit from it. You will encounter Me in the winds that shake your life.”

Lord, the process of knowing You can be so painful. I know it’s worth it, but part of me wishes I could remain on the surface of life. So make the most of my pain. Don’t waste any of it. Use it to unveil deep mysteries about You that I never would have known.