Good morning. Amazing grace indeed. Turn with me if you would to the book of Job. It would be amazing grace if the Lord came down from his perfect holiness to save the good. I can almost imagine in my head him doing that for the angels as they're just magnificent beings. But oh, how far he came. He came to save the least likely of all of his creatures, the most rebellious, the worst, the wretches of all of his creatures. He came to save his people, men, women. And not just men and women, but the worst of them. The worst of us. He came to save the wretches. Because of his greatness, because of his goodness, because of his glory, all because of him.

I sure enjoyed that song. Amazing grace, indeed. I bring love and greetings from our congregation at Hurricane Road, from our Pastor Frank and from Janet. They tell me to say hello to each of you, and you're constantly in our thoughts and in our prayers as I know that we are you, and I thank you. And on behalf of my family, my wife Stacy and my kids, Rosalie and Gavin, we're just very pleased to be here with you today. It's our heart's desire that we spend our time together worshiping our God now, and we look forward to that.

Job chapter 39. studying the book of Job, and would like for us this morning to focus on the verses, on the chapters, if you would, on the chapters leading up to these verses in verse 39, or in chapter 39, excuse me. Specifically, verse 17. In Job 39, verse 17. Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding, either have he imparted to her understanding. Let's read up through, uh, starting in verse 13 of that same chapter gave us, gave us thou the goodly wings under the peacocks or wings and feathers under the ostrich, which leave with her eggs in the earth and warm with them and dust and forget it. that the foot may crush them or that the wild beast may break them. She's hardened against her young ones as though they were not hers. Her labor is in vain and without fear. Why? Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

As we go through the book of Job, let's look together at three points. hath not imparted to her understanding in his providence, in his sovereign providence. I thank you for your prayer, and I appreciate your prayers for me. I was sitting there praying for myself also, that the Lord would impart unto us his message, right? Otherwise, what are we doing here? Worse than wasting our time. That he would, in his providence, that he would see fit to give a word from himself. So as we look through Job, we're looking for God's sovereign, and everything that God has seen fit to reveal about himself has to start right there. He is sovereign. He is absolutely sovereign. You cannot take that too far. Does he control whatever it is that just crossed your mind? Yes, he absolutely does in creation and also in salvation.

We'll look for God's deliverance because in God's sovereign providence, God could have sovereignly damned the whole race, and he had been just and right and good to have done so. Man rebelled against him, and in God's sovereign providence, he could have damned us all to eternal hell, and he would have been right in doing so. But in his goodness, we see God's deliverance. And then third, the sinner's response. God's sovereign providence, God's deliverance, and the sinner's response. For 31 chapters, Job and his friends debate. They debate what they know about God's providence. And they debate what they know about God's deliverance. And when the Lord God reveals himself, what is Job's response? When the Lord God reveals himself to Job and shows Job who he is, what is Job's response? He has two responses. The first is in chapter 40. Let's read together verses three through five.

Then Job answered the Lord and said, behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I'll lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but will not answer. Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.

Job's response to seeing who God is was to shut his mouth before God. Job's second response in chapter 42, Job 42, we'll read the first six verses together.

Job, when confronted with who God is, Job said, Job answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do everything, that no thought can be withheld from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Here I beseech thee and I will speak. I will demand of thee and declare unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye seeth thee, and therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

When we see who God is, same as Isaiah saw, same as Nebuchadnezzar saw, see God high and lifted up on his holy, absolutely powerful, absolutely sovereign, in his absolute authority, in his absolute right, and in his absolute goodness, and his absolute love, and his absolute justice, we fall on our face in the dust, just as Job did, and we shut our mouths and worship before him. I abhor myself, he says, I repent in dust and ashes.

I like the phrase, heard dad say it a lot. I like the phrase, it's good for a man to know his limits. It is good for a man to know his limits. It's good for us to be aware of our shortcomings and live accordingly. Good for a man to know his limits. Being self-aware is a good thing. We can never have any concept whatsoever of who we are until we see who God himself is. We can't. until we understand who God is. And when we see him, then we have an understanding of our own rebellion, our own spiritual death. We see the fact that we have no right to come before him.

Job recognized that God was even, even bothering, that's not the right word, that, that in God's love, he was communicating with Jehovah. And it was so amazed, amazing grace, was so amazed by that amazing grace, he bowed his head in the dust.

Our absolute reliance on him, providence, deliverance, and the sinner's response. And picture these three things, if you would, in a circle, one leading to the other. God's providence, leading to God's deliverance, leading to the sinner's response. and see that our response has no bearing whatsoever on His providence or on His deliverance. Our response is a gift from Him. Faith is a gift from Him. Our response is a result of God's providence and God's deliverance. It's never, ever, ever the cause of it.

See that His goodness sees fit to reveal His providence to, of all creatures, us. and to reveal his deliverance. We opened the service with him talking about the ostrich. He does not impart unto the ostrich understanding. Our understanding and our response doesn't affect God's providence or his deliverance in any way. It's all because he is good. It's because he is good that he saw fit to reveal himself to Job. And I have reason for hope. A reason for hope that he will with us today also, because as he states, where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them, right? Turn with me back to the first book of Job, Job 1, first chapter.

The book of Job begins by describing Job as an upright servant of God who is materially blessed. Starting in Job 1, there was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was perfect and upright, one that feared God and eschewed evil. There were born unto him seven sons and three daughters, and his substance also was 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 she-asses, and a very great household, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. He was a great man.

And God, God sent Job trials. They were from God's hand. God sent Job harsh trials. Job lost his children. Job lost his property. And eventually, Job lost his health. He sent harsh trials to Job. And what was Job's comfort? Still in the first chapter, verse 21, what was Job's comfort? He said, naked came I out of my mother's womb. Naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

What was Job's comfort when nothing else in his life made sense? When everything else was falling apart and didn't fit? What was the one thing sure and steady and still true? Everything else in Job's life, just like that, became untrue. What was the one thing that was still true in Job's life? God's providence. He started right there in God's providence.

How many times do you read through the psalm, right? You read through the psalms and David starts low, right? And he starts going through the psalm and within a few verses, normally you start to see him talk about God's providence. And that's almost always, that's where he starts. He sees God's providence, God's sovereignty. We start to get our feet under us just a little bit. And all of God's other marvelous attributes and goodness towards us hinges and hangs on his sovereignty. And Job did the same thing. Blessed be the name of the Lord. The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. God's providence.

I get myself in trouble, and I'll share with you because I figure you're a lot like me. in trying to figure out God's providence, trying to figure out what's he accomplishing here. And that leads me to turmoil because really, really what I'm doing is I'm weighing the positives versus the negatives of what just happened to me. And I'm trying to figure out whether or not it's worth the cost. Trials are real. They're real to God's children also. And boy, do I get myself in trouble sitting there trying to figure out the cost of what he's trying to accomplish here. And really, really what I'm doing is I'm trying to figure him out so that I can give him my consent. We have a lot of turmoil there. Trying to figure out what is God doing here?

I'll tell you what God's doing here. God tells us what he's doing here. In the midst of the trial, God tells us in Romans 8, he tells us exactly what he's doing in the trial. All things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. It's good. It's his purpose. Does it hurt? Yeah. Yeah. I figured Job was hurt harshly. And he said, Lord gave, Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. And there was his comfort. He wasn't getting into why, just shh with why. Right, I'm talking to me. I'm talking to me, shh with why. This is why, it's for good. It's for good. To them who love God, to those who are the called, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

So Job had these trials, right? His children, his possessions. In chapter two, in verse seven, his health. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord and he smoked Job. with sore boils from the sole of his foot under his crown, top of his head, from the sole of his foot to the top of his head was boils. He took him a pot shirt to scrape himself with all and he sat down among the ashes.

All that Job was left with was a piece of a broken pot to scrape his boils, scrape his sores. And one of the writers, which I thought this was interesting, theorize that it wasn't boils, plural, from the top of his head to the sole of his feet, it was one. One sore from the top of his head to the sole of his feet. What a trial, right? His children, his possessions, his health, left Job just absolutely helpless, helpless before God.

In the next 30 chapters, our example, of Job's helplessness and a picture, it's a picture of our helplessness in salvation. As helpless as Job was in the trial, we are just as helpless, the scripture says more helpless, because the scripture calls us dead. We are more helpless than Job in salvation.

In both cases, the trial and in salvation, we see that there's no comfort unless we see God's face. That's where comfort is. And then Satan sent Job further trials. He sent him his three friends. And these three friends may have been the worst of the trials. I'm sure they meant well. I'm sure they were sincere. Meaning well and sincerity don't carry much weight.

Because these three friends could have been the worst trial because what they kept telling Job was what was already in Job's heart. They kept telling Job, look to yourself. Look to yourself, look to yourself. In this trial and in this salvation, three times, each one of them, they took turns telling Job, look to yourself, look to yourself, look to yourself, and how dangerous that is because that is already inside all of us, right? That's already there in my heart.

In my sinful flesh responds to a person telling me to look to myself, right? And isn't that Satan's message? How dangerous that is, that that's what these three friends kept telling him, look to yourself. That's Satan's message. Satan's message is look to anyone. Look to yourself, look to your quote unquote good deeds, look to your church attendance, look to your faith, look to your belief, look to your repentance. Look, look, look, look, look anywhere but Christ. And if we look anywhere but Christ, we are looking into death. Look to anything, just don't look to Christ.

Each one of these three friends, they took turns three times. Again, each one of them, three times each, took turns telling Job what amounted to straighten yourself up and God will remove this trial. Now, they were talking about the trial. Clean up your life, act better, pray more, attend church, God will remove this trial. Believe more, God will accept you. And again, just how dangerous is that message? It's the message that's already in my fallen mind. Look to yourself, justify yourself before God.

When God asked Adam, Adam, where art thou? Right? He knew where he was, both physically in the garden, he knew exactly where he was. Where art thou spiritually? Where are you, Adam? And Adam immediately gave a picture of us. Did Adam fall on his knees and say, I've sinned, and ask for mercy? No, no. Adam justified himself. Right? The woman that thou gavest me. He immediately started justifying himself. And we're children of our father, Adam. It's in our nature to try to justify ourselves. That's Satan's message. Justify yourself before God.

The result of Satan's message ends in exactly the same result. Look here in Job 2 verse 2. The Lord said unto Satan, from whence comest thou? Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and from in the earth, from walking up and down in it, going to and from, up and down, never, never finding peace, there's no rest, there's no peace, there's no rest, there's to and fro, up and down, and looking to ourselves, and looking anywhere but to Christ, and only to Christ, not Christ plus anything, not Christ plus my works, not Christ plus my faith, not Christ plus, just looking solely to Christ.

No different than Job with everything else absolutely stripped down, helpless, looking just and only to Christ. There's no peace looking to ourselves to and fro, up and down. Go to and fro all the earth. There's no peace other than in Christ alone. Christ says, if that's you and that is us, Christ says, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon me. Take my yoke upon you. Learn of me, for I'm meek and I'm lowly in heart. And ye shall find rest unto your souls." That's Christ's promise. Come unto me. You shall find rest unto your souls.

In addition to Job's friends, Job was also an heir because he kept contending that he was already just with God. Not from a spiritual standpoint. Job was clear that he understood his spiritual sense before God. Job knew he was a sinner, but in a physical sense, Job kept saying, I didn't do anything to deserve this, was the essence of what Job said. I didn't do a sin that would warrant this trial. And that was Job's response all the way through.

And finally, turn with me to chapter 32. As you go through and hear these four men talking with each other, the three men telling Job to look to himself and Job basically saying, I didn't do anything to deserve this. For all these verses, finally, we get to chapter 32, and Elihu, the preacher of the gospel, comes and comforts Job. And Elihu's message was, justify God rather than yourself. See that God is sovereign and see that God is good, right?

So Elihu says here in Job chapter 32, verses 2 and 3, A lie who tells Job to justify God rather than yourself. What does Paul say in Romans? Shall their faith make the faith of God without effect? God forbid, right? Does his response trigger what is true about God? God forbid. Yea, let God be true and let every man be a liar. That is every man, including myself, right? My own voice that's telling me to justify myself. Let myself be a liar. When my voice tells me in the midst of trial, God's left you. God isn't as merciful as he says he is, or else I wouldn't be going through this. God is not the God that he claims to be. Let God be true. Let every man be a liar, including my own voice inside my head. Let me be a liar. My own son, especially me, be a liar. Shall my heartbreak make the faith of God of none effect? God forbid. God forbid.

Elihu's message here again in Job 32 verses 2 and 3. Justify God rather than yourself. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the son of Baal, the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram. Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled because they had found no answer yet they had condemned Job.

Let God be true. Let every man be a liar. Justify God. God is right. God is right.

Elihu's message was, see God, in chapter 33, starting in verse 13. See God. See that God is sovereign. Elihu says, why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters. For God speaketh once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men and slumberings upon the bed, then he openeth the ears of men, sealeth their instruction.

See God's providence, see God's deliverance. Recognize the fact that God has seen fit to reveal himself to man and to deliver his people.

And then Elihu says, see God's goodness. It's an amazing blessing, again, that God would reveal himself to sinners. Again, as we open the service, he could have rightfully revealed himself in wrath and in fury and in judgment at man's rebellion, but he reveals himself in tenderness.

Look here in chapter 33, starting in verse 24. Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child's. He shall return to the days of his youth. He shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him. He shall see his face with joy, for he will render unto man his righteousness. He looketh upon men, And if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it profiteth me not, he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Lo, all these things God works oftentimes, oftentimes, with man.

See, Eliza's message is that of ransom, and Eliza's message is that of Christ. And God reveals himself to sinners through Christ, And he does so, the scripture says, oftentimes, oftentimes. He delivers sinners oftentimes.

There's an article in your bulletin, which I encourage you to read later today. Prevenient grace. Long before regenerating grace comes to the chosen, prevenient grace watches over them, orders their steps, from this chapter keeps them from going down to the pit because God has found a ransom, a ransom for them. And the article directs us to Hosea. Again, I encourage you to read this this afternoon, but I'll read through Hosea.

Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them. She shall seek them, but shall not find them. And then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband. For then was it better with me than now. For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

" An understanding that all good and perfect gifts come from above, right? and how easily and quickly we forget that. And we take comfort in whatever it is that we take comfort in. Our families, or our bank account, or whatever it is that we take comfort in, and we seek after our second husband, and we forget our first, and we forget that all of those blessings, material and spiritual, all of them, are God's. And at best, we are stewards. And he shares them with us and gives them to us for our pleasure.

And then we see yet again our fallen nature, which relies on the gifts instead of the giver. Again and again and again. And we're reminded just as in Hosea. And aren't you comforted and aren't you blessed when you're reminded again that all good things come from above and that you see God's face again. in his providence and in his goodness and in his deliverance and in his love and in his tenderness.

And we say again, I don't deserve that. And we're right. We don't, we absolutely don't. But God in Christ chooses to do so because of his goodness.

Yeah, Elihu said, see God, see God's providence, see God, see his deliverance, see his goodness, see who he is, see God. Justify God. Don't justify yourself any longer. See him for who he is. That's what Elihu said.

And then that brings us to chapter 38. In 38, which begins in verse one with, then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. Now, I certainly want to listen now because Job's friends have given useless and hurtful advice, worldly advice, in essence, telling Job to get right with God. Boy, do I hate that phrase. We cannot get right with God. Christ is right. And oh, that we could be found in him. But that's what his friend said, Eli who has prepared the way pointing to Christ and now the Lord in his goodness and in his mercy condescends to speak to Job. Isn't that encouraging that the Lord would do so? The Lord's character and love and who he is is such that he would condescend and not leave Job alone. God could have left Job alone and God would have been just in doing so, but he didn't because he's good. He comes to correct and encourage Job. And since we know that the Lord does not change, the Lord is doing such today also. He does so today.

God's sovereign providence. What does that mean, sovereign providence, as we get here to chapter 38? It's God's might to do as he will, and it's God's right as creator and owner to do as he will, his absolute control over all things and providence. His absolute control over all things in creation is just. It's right for him to control all things in creation. He created it, right? In the beginning, God. He has that sovereign authority that Nebuchadnezzar recognized. And when Nebuchadnezzar recognized God for who he was, he said, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, right? God is sovereign in both heaven and in earth, as Nebuchadnezzar recognized. None can stay his hand. None can say unto him, what doest thou? God does as he wills in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth. He has that right as the owner and the creator He owns all creation. He owns all of you. He owns all of me. He owns us. He owns all of salvation. Who can stay his hand? Who can say unto him, what doest thou?

And in God's absolute sovereign control and providence, he reveals his wisdom and his goodness and his mercy and his love and his holiness and his justice and one never decreases so that another can increase. His holiness and his mercy are both on full display at the same time. One is never compromised for the other in Christ, and always and only in Christ. He does as he will, and we call that his purpose. And because he is good, because God is love, He purposed to reveal who he is to Job.

And again, here in Job chapter 38, let's look at verse four. God says to Job, where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding, who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest, who has stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Who laid the cornerstone thereof?

When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy, God reveals, he begins to reveal to us what he himself has done. He says, and where were you, Job? Where were we? Where were we when God hung the earth? He hung the stars.

Friday, we were driving home, a beautiful clear night, and the kids saw the stars. Rosalie and Gavin looked up at the stars, and Gavin says, I like space, didn't you, right? I like space, but I can't remember exactly the word that you use, something along the lines of, but it's kind of crazy because we're in space. We're looking up at the moon and we're looking up at the planets and the stars, but that's us. We're hanging in space. We are. We're hanging in space.

Where were you? Where was I when God hung the earth in space? Where were we? What holds all of space together? God does. His sovereign power does. And then Rosalie answered, she says, well, I like space, but I'm more interested in the ocean.

Okay. Let's look at verse eight. Who shut up the sea with doors when it break forth as if it had been issued out of the womb. When I made the cloud, the garment thereof, it covered the water, thick darkness, swaddling band for it. and break up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said, hitherto shalt thou come, but no further. That's where the water stops. Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further. And here shalt thy proud waves be stayed.

And the Lord holds the earth and all the stars and all the beings in space right where they are by his purpose. And he does the same in the sea, in the depths of the sea. King David was comforted over and over again by God's sovereign province.

Psalm 77. While I'm looking up Psalm 77, turn with me if you would back to Psalm 139. Psalm 139. Psalm 77, David says that the voice of thy thunder was in the heaven. The lightnings lightened the world. The earth trembled and shook. Thy way is in the sea, thy path in the great waters. Thy footsteps are not known. They're not known.

We are talking about science. All the things that all the brilliant scientists just know. And most things are theories, right? I love the things that they just admit that they don't know. Science can't explain how a bumblebee flies. The mass is too big for its wings. And I love that. That science, at some point, has to humble itself and say, hmm, that's of God.

David says, thy footsteps are not known. He's so great. In Psalm 139, verse 7, whither shall I go from thy spirit? Whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up to heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, thy right hand shall hold me.

He's everywhere, he's sovereign. God is sovereign because it's his right to be sovereign. He created the heavens, he created the earth, they're his. He does what he wants. He does what he wills.

In accordance with accomplishing His will, what does David say there in verse 10? He says in Psalm 139, in accordance with all of this might, in accordance with all of this will and authority and providence, what does David say God does? He holds me, tenderly. It's his right to hold his people. He's able to hold his people. He wills to hold his people. in his goodness.

Back to our text in Job 38. Verse 17 says, have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? God controls space, God controls earth, God controls the seas and the deep places. God controls death? Yes, yes he does.

How can God, who is holy, so that no man, isn't that what he said to Moses? No man can see my face and live. His holiness is such that he charges his angels with folly. In his absolute holiness, how could he prevent my death without giving up his throne, without giving up his holiness, without giving up his perfection? God cannot make exceptions, nor should he, nor would he. There's no exceptions whatsoever to his perfect holiness. That would be unjust.

I earned death in Adam, in Adam. I was born a sinner, and my actions and my sin are evidence of that. I was born in sin, and I've conducted myself in such a way to prove that, right? The wages of sin is death, is what the Bible says. How can God control death and show mercy to me? He says again there in verse 17, have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? Christ has. Yes, Christ has.

Just as in creation when God directed the heavens and the earth, without our help, God defeated death without our help, without our contribution, and thus he owns and controls death just as he owns and controls creation. Christ was born a man, a real man, lived a perfect, sinless life, obedient to the will of the Father in everything, in his deed, in his thought, in his heart, in everything, he obeyed the will of the Father. He kept the law, he established the law, He fulfilled the law in every regard. In every regard, the law was satisfied.

And then he, in love, in mercy, and in justice, willingly took the sin of his people into his body on the tree and was sacrificed, was killed. He willingly took the sin of his people in his body on the tree and he was slaughtered. took the punishment that his people deserved, became guilty before God, his father, and said, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He was made sin for us, for his people in love and also in perfect justice.

Paul says in Romans, as by one man, sin entered into the world and death by sin. And so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. And I know I've said this a couple of times, but I never stopped being struck by this. The scriptures could have stopped there and God would have been just, right? Sin passed unto all men for that all have sinned. And the scriptures could have stopped right there and God would have been just and holy.

But for his goodness, because he is good, because of who God is, because of his character, because of his love and his holiness, because of who he is, the scripture go on, for if the offense of one, Adam, many be dead, much more by the grace of God and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

How can God control death? Because Christ died. Because Christ died. And in doing so, he defeated death for each of his people. For all of his people collectively? Yes. And for each of his people by name? Yes. Took their sins collectively.

First Corinthians says, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Sting of death is sin. The strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. God asked Job in our text, have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? Christ did, and all his people are free as a result because of Christ.

Still here in Job 38, God's talking to Job in verse 19, and asks, where is the way where light dwelleth? And for darkness, where's the place thereof? That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof. He asked Job, can you take light by the hand and direct it where it'll go? God does every day. We watched the sunrise this morning. And didn't we? And I asked you both, could you make the sun come up a minute later? Could you make the sun come up over there or over here? Can you change it in any way? Can you make it come up earlier? Can you make it come up later? Can you take light by the hand and direct it where it'll go? God does every day.

Every day, every sunrise and every sunset and every time we see the light should be a reminder to me, should be a reminder to you that God is in control. Can I take the light by the hand? No, certainly not. And God reminds Job of this in Providence and in creation. Can you take light by the hand? That's ridiculous. Would you take God by the hand and direct him where to go? You'd have an easier time moving the sun. Would you obligate God to you? And I'm speaking to your sinful heart and I'm speaking to my sinful heart. Would you obligate God to you? Would you take God by the hand and direct him where to go? Would you obligate him to you? Would you move him? Would you manipulate him? Yes, in your sinful flesh, yes, you would. And yes, I would too.

Would you obligate God to you? Would you leverage your actions? Would you leverage your love, your obedience, whatever it is that you determined to be good in your mind, your belief, your faith, your church attendance, your prayer? Would you use the very best of you, the deepest part that you hold most precious to yourself? Would you leverage that to God? Would you take him by the hand and direct him where to go? Would you grab light? Isaiah says, we're all as an unclean thing. All our righteousness, right? That's the best part of us. The deepest part that we consider to be the most valuable and precious. This is the thing that I would offer up to God. We're an unclean thing. All our righteousness are as filthy rags. And we all do fade as a leaf. Our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

" In Philippians, Paul calls his best work, this is the best, isn't something to commend himself to God. His very, very best is a negative, right? He calls it loss. He calls it dumb. That's the best. That's the very best thing that I would commend my... This is what I would use in myself to commend myself to God. Isaiah calls it unclean. Paul calls it dumb. Would we take God by the hand? Would we grab light by the hand and direct it where to go? Evidence. Evidence of our spiritual death. The fact that we would, that's in us. Evidence of our spiritual death.

But we're worse than that. Not only can't we take light by the hand, we won't. John 3 says, this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world. And Christ later clarifies and tells his disciples, I am the light of the world. Christ is the light of the world. John 3 says, this is the condemnation, light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light. let his deed should be reproved. We're no different than Adam. Adam, where art thou? Ah, the woman thou gavest me. It's not in our heart, it's not in our fleshly heart, I should clarify, it's not in our fleshly heart to bow and ask for mercy.

Ah, but God, God gives a new heart and a new will. God gives life where there wasn't life before. And that life does bow before a holy God and ask for mercy. To whom then? If outside of God, we neither can nor will come to God, right? Outside of Christ, God neither can nor will accept us. So who then?

Job 38 verse 21. Who then? To those to whom God has seen fit to reveal himself. We would say, do you know that because thou was born? Because the number of days is great? To those of us who God has seen fit to reveal himself to, do we know that because of something great in us? Do we know that because we're older or wiser or just better people, right? No, not at all. We're smarter. That's never the case.

1 Corinthians 1.26 starts, for you see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. God has chosen the foolish things of the world. Now I like when I can get into the scriptures and see something that I know is written to me. God's chosen the foolish things of the world. to confound the wise. God's chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. The base things of the world, the things which are despised, hath God chosen. Yea, things which are not, to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should ever glory in his presence.

Where were you, he asked Job, where were you in creation? He asked me, where was I in creation? All of creation was made before man ever existed. Where were you in salvation? All of salvation was accomplished before man even existed. Where was I? Where were you? When God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit made a pact amongst themselves for electing a people, purchasing a people, redeeming a people, giving a people life, calling those people to him and making them sons of God. giving those people a life, giving those people a right to stand before him. All of that was accomplished in perfect love and perfect holiness and in perfect justice. And where was I? Where were you?

Revelation said before that the lamb was slain when? Before the foundation of the world, right? Where were we when salvation was accomplished?

Let's read through verses, same chapter here, verses 22 22 through 34. Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I've reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? Who hath divided a water course for the overflowing of the waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder, to cause it to rain to the earth where no man is? on the wilderness where there is no man.

Stacey always points out to me, you all know, we like to hike, we like to get out as far away from everything as we can. And she's always struck by the waterfalls. And that water flow has been flowing a long time before I saw it, and it's flowing right now, and I'm not there to see it. where no man is. He caused it to rain on the earth where no man is, on the wilderness where there is no man. That waterfall's flowing right now for his glory. To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth. Hath the rain a father who has begotten the drops of the dew? All these, all these things, we never had any hand in it. God directs every step, every day. And we never had any hand of this. Nothing happens and nothing even exists without him, without God's hand, without his direct hand.

And we apply those same truths that he's teaching Job in creation, we apply those same truths to salvation. We never had any hand in it. God directs every step, every day. None of it happens or even exists without his direct hand. And where does that leave me? It leaves me in the same place Job was left. right, bowing before God in the dust, bowing obediently before a holy God of creation and bowing obediently before the holy God of salvation in Christ.

If you or if I would come to this sovereign God of salvation, if it's your will or if it's in my will to do so, it's only because God drew you to do so, right? And if that's the case, if that's the case, I have good news for you. Turn with me, if you would, to the book of Philippians. I sat for years interested and not coming to Christ. Philippians 1 verse 6 says, being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. No matter what your situation is, no matter what my situation is, and I say this to those who have never come to Christ, and I say this to those who have come to Christ a million times, he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

If he has drawn you, if he has given you life inside your heart to ask for mercy, to seek mercy, he will not leave that good work undone. And scripture promises everyone, everyone that comes to Christ, to the throne of God in Christ seeking mercy will find it, everyone. He both starts and finishes the work. He's the alpha and the omega. You look to him, ask him. Beg Him. Again, I'm talking to myself. Beg Him. Ask Him. Ask Christ. Again, seek mercy. My seeking is never the cause of His mercy. My seeking is the evidence of mercy already shown that He would draw us.

Did He come to Job because Job cried? No, He caused Job to cry. And then He came to him because He would. It's because mercy was already shown. It's the evidence. And remember our scripture that we use to start the service of the ostrich. The ostrich isn't given the wisdom, right? And if you will not come to Christ, if you hear and are unaffected or outright rebel, that's also evidence. That's evidence of our sinful nature. if we rebel against his sovereign right, if we're unaffected, if we're cold to it, it's evidence of our fallen sinful nature. And I would say, he who has the ability to give the ostrich and to withhold from the ostrich wisdom, he who has the ability to give wisdom, ask him for it. Right? If you want mercy, ask him for it. If you don't want mercy, ask him to make you want mercy. Right? come in the dust before him and ask him, he who is the sovereign provider of all things.

And he uses the ostrich as an example. And I think of the ostrich often. I was very afraid when that little one there who's now 14 was born. I'd never been a dad before, right? How do I, how do I know? What if she is born and I have no affection towards her whatsoever? I don't know. Never been a dad. I don't know how this works. Am I just going to have to fake it for the rest of my life? I mean, what if?

And my sweet sister-in-law, Janet, sent me to this verse about the ostrich and said, it's not given to the ostrich. Ask that it be given to you. And it was. Ask for mercy and it will be given. That's on the authority of the scriptures. If you have no interest in it, ask him for interest in it. He's the giver of all good things. Ask Him. Ask Him. Ask Him to draw you. Ask Him for mercy. Ask Him for wisdom. Ask Him. Ask God. Ask Him not to leave you as that ostrich without understanding. Ask Him. Ask Him to give you a will. I'll read a few verses. Ask Him to give you life.

The woman, this is in John 5, the Samaritan woman, the woman said unto him, sir, give me this water that I thirst not. And Christ did. Out of his goodness. Draw me. John 12, Christ said, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. He's drawing people now. He's drawing people today. The sunrise, that he's drawing people. He absolutely is. Ask him to draw you. Ask him. Ask him for mercy.

Luke 18, the publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, the sinner. And Christ says, I tell you, this man went down to his house justified. He granted it. He drew him to ask, and then he asked, and then in his goodness, he granted. Oh, sinner, ask him. Come to God in Christ and ask him for mercy. Ask him for life. Ask him to be drawn. Ask him to know you. And ask him to know him.

In Luke 23, the thief said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And the very next verse, Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. with me, letting the sinner know him, and him knowing the sinner, with. That ostrich, we say, we give, right? All good and perfect gifts come from above. Ask him, ask him. Ask God for mercy. He has the power, he has the right, just as he does in creation, which he established which he established with Job, in creation, I have the power because I own creation, I made creation. I have the might, I have the right, I have the authority, I have the goodness, and I have the will to turn creation as I will. And there's no different in salvation. It's no different in goodness. It's no different for a sinner's, of all creatures, a sinner's right to come before a holy throne, Ask Him. It's in His power in Christ. It is His right in Christ. And He has said over and over and over again, it's in His will to show mercy to sinners. So on the authority of this book, I say, ask Him.

Let's pray together.