Job 38
The Lord Speaks to Job
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 "Who is this who darkens counsel
by words without knowledge?
3 Prepare yourself like a man;
for I will question you,
and you shall answer Me.
4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if you have understanding.
5 Who has determined its measurements, if you know?
Or who has stretched the line upon it?
6 To what are its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone
7 when the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 "Or who shut up the sea with doors
when it broke forth and went out of the womb?
9When I made the cloud its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 and broke up for it My decreed place,
and set bars and doors,
11 and said, 'This far you will come but no farther,
and here your proud waves will be stopped'?
12 "Have you commanded the morning in your days,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
13 that it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14It is turned like clay by the seal,
and it stands out as a garment.
15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
and the high arm will be broken.
16 "Have you entered into the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17 Have the gates of death been opened to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you perceived the breadth of the earth?
Declare, if you know it all.
19 "Where is the path where light dwells?
And as for darkness, where is its place,
20 that you should take it to its boundary,
and that you should know the paths to its house?
21 Do you know it because you were born then,
or because the number of your days is many?
22 "Have you entered the treasuries of the snow?
Or have you seen the treasuries of the hail,
23 which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
against the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light diffused,
or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
25 Who has divided a channel for the overflowing waters,
or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 to cause it to rain on the earth where no man is,
on the wilderness in which there are no people,
27 to satisfy the desolate waste,
and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Does the rain have a father?
Or who has produced the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb came the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
and the surface of the deep is frozen.
31 "Can you tie the cords to the Pleiades
or loosen the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out the constellation in its season?
Or can you guide the Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the ordinances of heaven?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34 "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
that abundance of waters may cover you?
35 Can you send lightning that they may go forth
and say to you, 'Here we are' ?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts,
or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can empty out the bottles of heaven,
38 when the dust turns into hard clumps
and the clods stick together?
39 "Will you hunt the prey for the lion?
Or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 when they crouch in their dens
and lie in the thicket to wait in ambush?
41 Who provides for the raven his food
when his young ones cry unto God,
and they wander about for lack of food?
Job 38
The LORD Answered Job
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man;
For I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest?
Or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?
Or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors,
When it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof,
And thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 And brake up for it my decreed place,
And set bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further:
And here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days;
And caused the dayspring to know his place;
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
That the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 It is turned as clay to the seal;
And they stand as a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light is withholden,
And the high arm shall be broken.
16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?
Or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee?
Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth?
Declare if thou knowest it all.
19 Where is the way where light dwelleth?
And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20 That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof,
And that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born?
Or because the number of thy days is great?
22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?
Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
Against the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light parted,
Which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters,
Or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is;
On the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground;
And to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Hath the rain a father?
Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice?
And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30 The waters are hid as with a stone,
And the face of the deep is frozen.
31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades,
Or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season?
Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?
Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds,
That abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go,
And say unto thee, Here we are?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts?
Or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom?
Or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust groweth into hardness,
And the clods cleave fast together?
39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion?
Or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they couch in their dens,
And abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41 Who provideth for the raven his food?
When his young ones cry unto God,
They wander for lack of meat.
(Similar to Jesus's sermon about Mammon
and do not put the Lord your God to the Test)
2) Our Daily Bread for 11 January 2026 Titled
Thank God for His Gifts by Karen Huang
Numbers 11:1-2, 4-11
1 (Lev 10:2; Nu 16:35) Now when the people complained openly before the Lord,
the Lord heard, and His anger burned. Then the fire of the Lord burned among
them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.
2 (Nu 21:7; 16:45-48) And the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed
to the Lord, and the fire was quenched.
4 (Ex 12:38; 1Co 10:6) The mixed multitude that was among them lusted,
and the children of Israel wept again and said,
"Who will give us meat to eat?
5 (Ex 16:3) We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for free,
the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.
6 (Nu 21:5) But now our life is dried up. There is nothing at all except
this manna before our eyes."
7 (Ex 16:31; Ge 2:12) The manna was as coriander seed,
and it looked like bdellium.
8 (Ex 16:16-18; 16:31) The people went about and gathered it,
and ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar, and boiled it in pots,
and made cakes of it, and the taste of
it was like the taste of cakes baked in oil.
9 (Ex 16:13-14) When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna fell on it.
10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in
the opening of his tent, and the anger of the Lord burned greatly.
Moses was also displeased.
11 (Dt 1:12) Moses said to the Lord, "Why have You hurt Your servant?
And why have I not found favor in Your eyes, that You lay the burden
of all this people on me?
[1] And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD
heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among
them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
[2] And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD,
the fire was quenched.
[4] And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the
children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to
eat?
[5] We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers,
and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
[6] But our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna,
before our eyes.
[7] And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the
colour of bdellium.
[8] And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or
beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the
taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
[9] And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon
it.
[10] Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man
in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly;
Moses also was displeased.
[11] And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy
servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou
layest the burden of all this people upon me?
The elderly man was taking a long time looking at the children's backpacks in
the store. He told me, "It's my granddaughter's birthday. I hope she likes my
gift." At the checkout, he clutched a pink backpack with a cartoon character
design. He looked excited.
Later in a restaurant, I saw him again with a little girl and her parents.
When the child opened her gift, she said, "I don't like this character! And I
hate pink!" Her parents made her apologise, but she still complained. My heart
broke for her grandpa.
I was reminded of how I sometimes respond to God's gifts. I complain because I
want something different, failing to see the miracle before me - that God
Himself has lovingly given something for me. The Israelites behaved similarly.
God had kept His promise to them: "I will rain down bread from heaven for you"
(Exodus 16:4). God's faithful provision in the wilderness was sure:
"When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down"
(Numbers 11:9).
But instead of being thankful, the Israelites complained about God's
expression of loving provision: "We never see anything but this manna!"
(v. 6). Instead of humbly requesting other food from God,
they wailed over His gift.
I still remember the hurt look in the grandfather's eyes that day. It made me
think of how our heavenly Father must feel when we complain.
Let's be grateful for the gifts He's given us.
Reflect & Pray
What blessings have you complained about?
How can you thank God for them?
Dear Father, please forgive me for the times I've complained.