There is a book in the Bible written about a man. This was not your ordinary man. But, this man had a problem. In fact, this man had a dust and dirt problem.
And his dust problem influenced his perspective. And perspective always suffers as long as we have dust problems; our minds are dusty because all we think about is dust and dirt.
The man we are discussing is Job. And Job’s major problem was one of perspective.
The Book of Job has more references to dirt and dust than any other book in the Bible. The word “dust” occurs 101 times in the O.T. and of the 39 books in the O.T., the word “dust” occurs twenty times in the Book of Job. This one book contains just about twenty percent of the occurrences of the word “dust”.
Job had a problem with dust because that is all he could see during the onslaught of satanic afflictions coming his way:
Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? Job 10:9
And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust. Job 17:15-16
And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure. They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them. Job 21:25-26
He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. Job 30:19
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:5-6
A Different Perspective – Destiny
God needed to correct Job’s perspective problem by getting him to look at things from His perspective (Destiny) and not from Job’s perspective (Dust) – by getting him to look up and not down.
He did and it worked. Let’s see how He did it.
The Depths of Creation
God interrupts the scene of Job’s misery beginning in chapter thirty-eight with a series of questions. These questions are meant to realign Job’s perspective from looking down at dust and to start looking up to destiny.
In the first series of questions God asks Job to consider the depths of Creation:
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; Job 38:4-6 (38:17)
The Breadth Of Creation
The next series of questions God asks Job to consider the breadth of Creation:
Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all. Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof, That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great? Job 38:18-21
The Mystery Of Creation
After Job is asked to consider the breadth of creation, God asks him to consider the mysteries of creation:
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, Which I have 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 watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. Job 38:22-30
The Height Of Creation
The next series of questions God asks Job to consider the height of Creation
Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are? Job 38:31-35
The Inside Of Creation (Job 38:36 – 39:1-30)
After asking him to consider the depth, the breadth, the mysteries and the height of Creation, God asked Job one last series of questions. To look into His creation:
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
Job 38:36-38
Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. Job 39:19-25
Why didn’t God ask Job to consider the length of His creation? Because there is no end, it is endless.
Dust or Destiny? The Choice Is Ours
God never told Job To Look DOWN at His Creation. Dust and dirt is the only thing to behold when looking down. We look down to see the Dust we are made from, but we have to look up to see the Destiny we are made for.
Job was delivered when he got his sight off of the dust of his dilemma and saw the destinies designed for him by God:
And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10
When our minds are regenerated our perspective is healed and we can now see life as God designed it. It is a supernatural work of the power of God’s Holy Spirit to get our focus off of the dust of this life and see the possibilities available through an Everlasting God.
But when the kindness and fondness of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by deeds of uprightness which we performed, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit whom He bestowed upon us abundantly through our Saviour, Jesus Christ, in order that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the expectation of life eternal. Titus 3:4-7 (Wuest)
Expectation of life eternal? That is Destiny talking.
When we see life from God’s perspective the impossibilities become possibilities and the mundane becomes the miraculous.
Dust or Destiny – it’s all a matter of perspective. What are you looking at today?
Messes To Masterpieces 