awestruck.

"And the Lord said to Job:
'Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.'
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
'Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further." || JOB 40:1-5 ||

This particular passage of Scripture has been on my mind all week; literally. The context of these verses is absolutely beautiful, and if you want to, read chapters 38-42. After Job receives bad advice from his friends, who saw suffering solely as a result of one's sin, he finally hears some sound advice; from the Lord himself. The Lord asks Job many questions for the purpose of giving Job a proper perspective on his own state, and the Lord's magnificent and indescribable glory. 
"Can you life up your voice to the clouds, 
that a flood of waters may cover you?
Can you send forth lightenings, that they may go
and say to you, 'Here we are'?"  ||JOB 38:34-35|| 


After all of this questioning, Job is reduced to silence, seen in chapter 40 verses 1-5. The whole picture of Job laying his hand over his mouth, because he now realizes he was wrong to question God, is absolutely amazing to me. Its a picture of humility and contrition. In going through trials or circumstances that are difficult, I pray that this would be my response; weighed down and silenced by the utter power of the Lords complete, infinite, cosmic power. w o w.
How often do i lose sight of this perspective! And the Lord has definitely been quick and extremely gracious to me by always showing me his sovereign hand and His perfect character.  
"Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" ||Job 2:10a||
Genesis 3:18 talks about 'thorns and thistles' that will come as a result of the fall. Both literal thorns, and those thorns that are trials, hardships, heartbreak, and despair. But I forget this so often; that all comfort was lost in the fall. Once sin entered the world, comfort was lost, and only the Lord can bring it back; by giving Himself to us, although I am a wretched worm, undeserving of any sort of 'favor' or grace from the Lord. And Psalm 62:6 says "He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken."
The Lord is our only source of comfort. There have been times where i have literally felt similar to the description in Psalm 32:4b "My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer."Times where the only thing I have had to cling to was the Lord, and he has faithfully been there, comforting me, leading me back to the cross, hiding me in the shadow of His wing, and protecting me as ONLY he is capable of  doing. And he did all of this for someone who hated him, sinned against him, and who's sin nailed him to the cross. Amazing. I don't understand it one bit apart from Gods grace; He would have been equally as just and perfect if He had allowed me to burn in hell the first day I was born. 
With that; ALL I can do is lay my hand over my mouth.