Where Were You...?

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38:4a)

I think most Christians have their "go to" passages of Scripture for different circumstances.  Evangelism?  Romans Road.  Assurance of salvation?  John 10.  Homesick for heaven?  Revelation 21.  Overwhelmed?  Philippians 4:13.  And so on and so forth.

I recently read one of my "go to" passages in my regular devotions, and one of the verses has been echoing through my mind ever since.  When I need to be reminded of Who God is -- that He is God, and I am not; that He is in control, therefore I don't have to be; that He has the right to change my plans whenever He sees fit, whether I like it or not -- I have two places I go:  Isaiah 40 and the last few chapters of Job.

Perspective.

The timing was especially fitting.  I reached Job 38 in my Bible reading plan for this year on January 30, ten days after I dislocated my knee.  Not something I controlled.  Not what I wanted.  Not my plan.

And then there's God:  "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?"

I found out last Wednesday that it will likely be another four weeks before I am allowed to go back to work, six weeks total since the injury happened.  Not time I was planning to take off.  Not what I wanted.  Not my plan.

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?"

Now I'm not comparing my injury to what Job experienced, but the point remains the same.  Who God is does not depend on what is happening in my life at any given moment.  He's still God, and I'm still not.

Many of my readers will probably remember when I had my appendix removed the weekend before finals in college.  I wrote the post here shortly thereafter.  In some ways, this injury has felt similar.  Once again, it is a time when God's plans interrupted mine.  I was even reminded of God's right to change my plans the Sunday before I ended up in the ER after krav maga.  That fact has been easier to accept this round.  Call it a lesson learned.  (One that I have no doubt will need to be relearned throughout my life.)  God is in control.  He always has been; He always will be.  And because He's in control, I don't have to be.  I can either allow myself to take comfort in that undeniable fact or I can fight against it and become frustrated when my plans continually don't work.  Either way, it doesn't change God.  However, letting go of the control I only think I have to begin with certainly changes me.

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?"