Throwing Shadow Over God`s Plans

Job 38:1-3 (NIV)

¹Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

² “Who is this that obscures My plans with words without knowledge?
³ Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

Woe to me for questioning God about anything for I know nothing about His plans, and all my complaints are like “words without knowledge”. This is how I feel after God shook me up through the sermon I listened to yesterday. This scripture and another scripture really took me to the next level of God`s work with my character. I feel like Job, who was silenced and had nothing to answer God when He started questioning him about all the things God created from the beginning in chapters 38-39. I wasn`t there when God created the earth, or the moon, or the stars; I wasn`t there when He created me and appointed a specific plan for my life, so I have no right to complaint about my circumstances because my complaints only “obscure” God`s plans.

This is a very interesting scripture that although I held dear to my heart, but I never fully analyzed the depth of the words that God said here. He said that all Job`s complaints are “words without knowledge”; the words that have no meaning- they are empty words. For 37 chapters in a row Job continued to complain about his life and all the afflictions that he was going through. Job kept on walking a very thin line to curse God at some point, and although he didn`t curst God, but he kept asking to talk to God, so he could question Him about all his problems. In the end God answered him and told Job that he had no idea what kind of plans God had in mind for him, so all his complaining words are empty and only “obscure My plans”. Job had no idea that thousands of years later his name would be among one of the most studied books in the Bible for generations to see God`s character and see the way God exalted Job as an example of righteous walk with God. Job had no idea that God had a great plan for his life because all he could think of was his current state of mind and circumstances which looked the opposite of what we read in the end of the book of Job (he got everything back and even more because God is faithful).

I think we should take special care as to what we say to God and what we question Him about because we can “obscure” His plans and prevent Him from moving in our lives with doubts and complaints. I personally read these verses and repent to seek God`s forgiveness for speaking those “words without knowledge”, those empty words of doubt. I don`t ever want to limit God in my life, to limit what He could potentially do with my life. God has a plan for your and my life, and we have to be patient if we don`t understand something because we will find out in its due season what was the purpose of specific situations. I may not understand fully why am I going to the court, but I`ll find out in God`s time.

When we “obscure” God`s plans, we become disobedient to Him. The word obscure literally means to “keep from being seen”, so when we obscure God`s plans, we keep them from being seen, we throw a shadow on His plans; we prevent God from disclosing them to us. Our empty words, or words without knowledge, block us from understanding God. That`s why in the previous article (Blackened Darkness), I shared the way God reminded me of the responsibility that comes with the knowledge. When God shares something with us, He makes us responsible for that and what we do with that knowledge. If God promised that all things work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28), then we have this knowledge and responsibility not to doubt His word.

I really have no right to challenge God because I wasn`t there when He created everything from scratch, and I don`t have capacity to encompass what He potentially has in store for me. What I do know is that His plans are only for the better, so He could bless me. If you have any doubts about your circumstances and you don`t understand them like I don`t understand mine, trust them to the Lord. I think we should take a good lesson out of this scripture not to doubt God and His provision for our lives. He loves us, and He has plenty of blessings in store for us, so let`s honor His word; let`s treasure them and store them in our hearts, so He could complete what He started.

In Psalm 37:5-6 (NKJV) David wrote:

⁵Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. ⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Solomon said in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV):

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

All I can pray is for the Lord to put a seal on my lips to never speak anything against God or to doubt His good work in my life. His plans are great, and I repent if I ever threw a shadow on His plans for my life with worthless empty words.

I choose to be like Job who said:

³ Then Job answered the Lord: ⁴ “I am unworthy —how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.⁵I spoke once, but I have no answer —twice, but I will say no more.” (Job 40-:3-5 NIV)

What else can I say to God who is almighty and all-knowing? I am unworthy, and I don`t want to throw any shadows on His plans for my life, but I want Him to use them for His glory even if I don`t understand them right now.

I urge you to evaluate what`s in your heart and the way you react to your situations. Do you easily get angered by circumstances? Do you easily get frustrated with not getting what you want? I don`t know what your circumstances are, but I urge you not to lean on your own understanding, or to doubt God. Humble yourself to the Lord, and He shall bring it to pass- all the plans that He has for your life. There is not one life that`s not valuable to Him, and who knows maybe you are among those who would be spoken of like Job is today- being one of the most righteous man who ever walked the earth. He encountered a lot, he suffered a lot, but he trusted the Lord to be faithful.

I trust You, Lord, all of my ways, and I will not lean on my understanding to make my paths straight and to bring it to pass everything you have planned for my life, in Jesus Name, Amen.