What Does He Have for You Today?

Submitted by Andrea Gerhard

I knew the day would be full, and that hard things might be ahead.

I started about the day – the shuttling off to school, daycare classrooms, to work. Like most, I grabbed a cup of coffee and started in to the work day. There were immediate meetings to be had, “to do” lists to check off, deadlines to meet…I fell into the grind of the day. But in the back of my mind, knowing what would still be encountered later in the day and the challenges to come, there was a calling. In the midst of completing all of the things that seemed to be important, I finally just stopped, realizing that it was so much more important to answer that call.

I left my desk, grabbed a Bible, and went before the cross. It was time to see what God needed to say to me for this day, so I did something my mother used to do for us – I simply stuck my thumb into a place between all of the pages and opened His book thinking of her voice saying to me, “Let’s see what He has to say to you today…”, anxious to see where it fell open (just like I was when I was younger and just hungry for His Words of guidance). This day it first opened to Job 37, and as my eyes fell on the page and I read, I felt a calm that I certainly needed. It read:

“At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place. Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back. God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.” (v.1-5)

I went on to read the many reminders of all the ways God is in control of all of His creation, of the things He does to both care and discipline His people. And as I continued to read into chapter 38 and beyond, as the Lord lays His questions upon Job, I put myself in that place of His questioning. He asks these questions of us too, especially in those moments when we think we can be Him, be the ones in control of these lives He has given to us. He asks Job, “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?” (38:12-13) and “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you ‘Here we are’? Who endowed the heart with wisdom or have understanding to the mind?” (38:34-36)

Standing before God, I would fall to my knees at this questioning to just say, “Not I Lord, I have not, I cannot…especially not without You, Your leading, Your wisdom, Your power.” All of this comes from His direction. This life was given to me, and it is not mine, so who am I to do with it as I please, to think that I should be using it other than He intended. In these moments, in these questions, my Heavenly Father was assuring me that He is indeed still the one in control here, and that no matter how hard humans may try in our blinded ways to be the ones in control, at the end of the day it will be His plan and His way that triumphs. I truly needed that assurance, that nudge from Him, and will draw strength from that as a warrior for Him.

Job’s final words were also my prayer: “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:2-5)

My journey in these moments continued with Luke 5 and Acts 8 and 9…you never know where He will take you when you are simply following what He has for you, when you listen for His voice (and while it may not all be understood in the moment, trust that He is preparing you for what is ahead). After reading, I prayed a bit longer, to just continue to be the Lord’s instrument, His servant to be used as He plans, to trust in the way He will continue to unfold the things ahead.

Later in the day, in the thick of the challenging things, I was again thankful for having spent that time in conversation with my Father and for the words He sent to me. He knows every way to care for His children. Even though those moments were hard, and will continue to be in the days ahead, He is faithful and is there reminding me to keep answering His call and to trust in the ways He has prepared me and the ways He will use me. He will send His wisdom.

I pray that a piece of this may speak to you, into your situation, your daily challenges, your hurts, or your decisions. And if not these words, I encourage you to take a little journey yourself by answering His call to you. Pick up a Bible, let it fall open, and see what God leads you to – what does He have for you today?