God Even Speaks on Vacation

1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: 2 "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? 8 "Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?— 9 when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, 10 and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, 11 and said, "Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped'? 12 "Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place,


16 "Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? 18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. 19 "Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, 20 that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? 21 Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! – (Job 38:1-12, 16-21)



Brenda and I are on vacation at one of our favorite vacation spots which is just about anywhere with a beach. Of course, the start of the vacation didn’t start too well when I decided to get sick. Woke up on our first day with what the doctor told me later was a full blown sinus infection with some “crud” on the side. She ordered me some great meds and with my wonderful nurse, Brenda who for about 72 hours has spoiled me rotten with attention, I am just about back to normal; well that is if you consider me to be normal in the first place.

One of the things I wanted to try to “find” out on vacation was a couple of answers from God about some questions I have about the direction of my ministry at the church I am presently serving. Since I graduated from seminary last May, Some doors have been slowly opening for me to step through and I have been questioning who is opening the door; God or me? Well, yesterday morning I think I got one of my answers…

One of my medicines has really messed up my sleep schedule. The last three morning rises have been in the 4AM range so I have been up reading, praying, etc… Yesterday morning, I decided that since I was somewhat better, I wanted to see the sun rise so I went to go for a walk on the beach around from where we are staying. When I got to the beach, I noticed a peculiar thing; a full beautiful moon was setting in the west over the sound while a new gorgeous sunrise was rising in the ease over the ocean. (pictures provided but not so great— there from my BlackBerry camera.)

As I was pondering the scene over the next couple of hours, I was amazed at the beauty of what I had seen in God’s creation? How could God do that? Better yet, why would God do that? It was about then I remembered the above passage from Job where God decides to answer some of Job’s questions on some of the things which had occurred to him and his family. While I was thinking about that, I wondered if God was trying to answer some of my questions.

Well, I got my answer this morning, I opened my Wesley Study Bible and this is what greeted me on the same page as Job 38, “Life Application Topic—God’s Presence.” And it started off with this, “God gets our attention however God chooses. The most basic spiritual discipline is attention; paying attention to God. All other disciplines are effective to the degree that they enable us to sense God’s presence.”

These “doors” that I have seen slowly opening for me over the last several months; maybe the answers I seek aren’t the doors themselves, but Who is with me when I approach these doors…

I think I may have found my answers…



Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.