Needing Jesus

Job 34, 35 and Matthew 14:22-36

Job is starting to confuse me. In chapters 34 and 35, Elihu is rebuking Job. Now, I thought it was about Elihu shutting Job up, because Job was being a weiner, but I’m not getting that vibe today. It just seems to me that Elihu is making sure that everyone knows God is God, and we are not. In 34:21-27, he describes why God doesn’t need men.

For his eyes are on the ways of a man,
and he sees all his steps.
There is no gloom or deep darkness
where evildoers may hide themselves.
For God has no need to consider a man further,
that he should go before God in judgment.
He shatters the mighty without investigation
and sets others in their place.
Thus, knowing their works,
he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
He strikes them for their wickedness
in a place for all to see,
because they turned aside from following him
and had no regard for any of his ways

I guess that’s the point. God was fine before we came along, before he created us, that is, and we lost sight of it pretty easily.

Let’s jump to Matthew 14. This section of Scripture is about when Jesus walks on water. Interestingly, my church just covered this story, only as it is recorded in John. The verses that really jumped out to me were verses 24 and 30. I thought (speaking first of verse 24) of how true it is that I feel like, so often, I’m off alone in a boat in the middle of the sea, with waves crashing down on me, and I’m afraid for my life. Being in college, that feeling is recurring. What am I going to do? There is this big thing that I can’t control and its trying to kill me! And I’m so far out here, that there’s no hope of getting away, either. And I kept reading and Jesus comes. He was there just in time. And he does that a lot, I’ve noticed. I’m reading Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, and he talks about God’s wild spirit, how he loves to come through for us. But then I read verse 30. Peter is freakin’ walking on water with Jesus! And he still fell. How does that happen? Why is it that I have so many great times with Jesus, then, in my moment of truth, I fail?

Jesus calms the storm, and they move on to go heal a bunch of people in Gennesaret. Peter doesn’t get an answer to this question either, but Jesus does say he has little faith. How does my faith look?

I am going to remind myself today that God doesn’t need me, and that he was just fine before me. But I know that he loves me, too, because he calms the storm after letting me walk on water with him.

Lord, thank you for what you are doing in me. You are such a great God, and I worship you. Help me to trust in you, more every day. My heart’s desire is to see your face, and see you smile down on me. I love you so much, Jesus. Thank you for your Word and your teaching.