The Breath of the Almighty (Job 32:8) - Radical

The Breath of the Almighty (Job 32:8)

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But it is the Spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.
– Job 32:8

Whoa, what a great word from Elihu. So, Elihu comes on the scene in the book of Job and actually rebukes Job’s other friends. And not everything he says is perfect by any means, but what he’s saying here in Job 32, he’s talking about wisdom and where you can find understanding. And he said, “It is the Spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.”

Job 32:8 reminds us God is the Creator and the Giver of wisdom.

And this goes all the way back to Job 28 and the picture of wisdom there and how God is the Author and the Creator of wisdom. He’s the one who makes it, and He’s the one who gives it generously. We know from James 1 to all who ask, and it’s His wisdom in us, the breath of the Almighty, that gives us understanding.

I’m just going to brag on God for a moment because, without going into all the details of what was happening, when I was reading Job 28 the other day and reflecting on wisdom and praying for wisdom, there was a specific need for wisdom in my life at that point, just leading for God to help me know what to do. And God provided that day in a way I did not see coming, in a way I could not have planned, I could not have foreseen. What I ended up understanding and deciding, it was so clearly from God, just as He promises to give us wisdom. And I say that, I’d been praying for that kind of wisdom day after day, and it hadn’t come, at least clarity hadn’t come on exactly what to do until after days of praying for wisdom in that way.

Job 32:8 reminds us God is generous with His wisdom.

I just want to encourage you with that. It’s true. God is the Creator of wisdom. He’s the one who sees all, knows all, and possesses all wisdom. It all belongs to Him, and He is generous with it, so ask Him for it. It’s His breath, the breath of the Almighty, that will give you understanding today, that will give you wisdom today, and not just in big decisions we need to make, but in everyday decisions all day long. This is why God was so pleased when Solomon asked Him for wisdom, because we all need wisdom every day, all day long. So let’s pray for that.

God, we need wisdom today in all of our lives. We are all prone to foolishness. We are all prone to make decisions and think about things according to our flesh instead of according to your Spirit, according to the Spirit of wisdom, and according to the breath of you, the Almighty. So help us, we pray. We pray for understanding today. Help us to see everything in our lives today rightly, correctly, according to your perspective, not our own, not others’ perspective, not this world’s perspective, but according to your perspective, according to your Spirit, and your Word. Help us to understand. We pray for wisdom to walk wisely today, in small and big decisions. God, we pray for your wisdom in us to lead us and guide us.

Prayer for the Bihari People

And as we pray this, according to your Word, we know, we trust, right now we trust you will give it. Help us to look to you, lean on you for wisdom all day long, and trust you to provide it all day long. Oh, God, we pray for people who don’t know you. And as the Author of wisdom through Jesus and know the joy and the confidence that come in knowing we are able to ask you at any point for wisdom, and you give it to us.

God, we pray for the Bihari people of Bangladesh today for almost a million of them in this Muslim people group, Muslims who originated from different people groups in Bihar and are now in Bangladesh, no known followers of Jesus. God, we pray for the spread of the gospel among the Bihari that they might know you, like we know you through Jesus. They might know your love for them, and they might experience your wisdom in their lives.

Ultimately, 1 Corinthians 1, your wisdom in the cross of Jesus Christ. Oh, we pray for the Bihari of Bangladesh, even as we praise you for your wisdom in our lives, for your Spirit in us today that makes us understand. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

David Platt

David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.

David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.

He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.

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