Creation's Cache #9

    Wow, over the last few days the weather has really taken a turn- winter is truly upon us. Each morning I've gone to get into my car to discover the windscreen misted and frozen; I can see my own breath in front of me, and yet I can't see much further! I drove into work today and a deep fog was mysteriously floating just over the fields. The whole countryside has a surreal atmosphere to it, while the silence and almost dreamlike surroundings are occasionally punctured by the the faint lights of oncoming vehicles. After exiting the car, the nip of the cold reminds me that I am no longer in a dream- this world is very real! Even amidst the frost and the fog (one could even say because of the frost and the fog...) a wonderful beauty is accented.
   By April spring will have come and by July we will be knee-deep in the British Summertime! The Seasons come around year by year, month by month, ordered by the creator and sustainer of the universe.

   I do hope that in your lifetimes, you experience the diversity and vastness of this planet. I hope that you dive into the tropical seas, surrounded by iddlyic sands and palms. I hope that you ride on llamas across the Chilean mountains. I hope that you explore caverns and caves. I hope that you climb mountains and splash around at the base of waterfalls. I hope you see Eagles and Stags. I hope you get to see wild dolphins in the ocean. I hope that you visit Delhi and Tokyo. I hope you exchange laughter with people of all cultures and races. I hope that you watch ganets diving into the sea from great heights. I hope that you experience all of that and even more!
    But more than the greatest experiences this world can offer, I hope that you know God more and more. I earnestly hope that you discover the vastness of God's love- for He has removed our sins further from us than the east is from the west*. I hope you learn of His wisdom- wiser than the owl or the greatest philosopher. I hope that you know what it is to receive God's grace-  deeper than the Atlantic Ocean. I hope that you learn of the might of God's right arm- stronger and more powerful than the Leviathan or Whale. I hope that you see the goodness and righteousness of God- the one who established right and wrong in our hearts. He, in his glory, is brighter than the Sun; more inspiring than the sunset; and more beautiful than the most desirable paradise on earth.
    For if this creation is wonderful, as it most undeniably is, then the Creator must be more wonderful and awesome still!

    It is my hope that each day you will live seeking to see God in His creation, that you will live desiring to know and serve him more. Creation's Cache can be a minefield if handled recklessly- remember, creation, although wonderful, was created by an even greater God!
    In Ancient Israel there was a man who thought that he could enjoy all of the pleasures of creation and yet he forgot who the creator was. The man's name was Solomon.

    Solomon was born the son of David, the great warrior-king of Israel. Solomon was very wise and wrote whole books of proverbs and songs. When he became King, he ruled over a strong and illustrious nation- all of their enemies having been pacified by his father. Solomon turned his attention from serving God and the Nation, to serving his own desires; he wanted to discover what  would give his life meaning or satisfaction. We take up his story in one of his books, Ecclesiastes:

I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the children of man. 

    Life must have been good for Solomon. He woke up each morning and doubtless enjoyed a refreshing bath in the finest waters straight from the Dead Sea, after being dried upon a towel of silk by his courtiers, he would partake of a hearty breakfast of the most delicious delicacies of the Israeli countryside. Later, after perhaps enjoying a bit of boating on the royal lake, he would watch a chariot race or competition. Once he had satisfied his appetite once again, Solomon might commission the construction of a new city or sculpture. He would review his armies or spend a few hours examining his collection of exotic and amazing animals, bought to his zoos by his great naval fleet. The evening would be taken up with a great banquet, accompanied by dances and music (doubtless played by his own band of bards and minstrels), during the meal he might converse with visiting Kings, Queens or other great minds of the Ancient world. Finally, he would retire to his chambers, while across the land his servants and stewards packed up for the day after working in his gardens, orchards, vineyards and estates.

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil.    

    But intriguingly, as time passed, Solomon was becoming less and less happy with the pursuits to which he had thrown himself into:

Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. 

    Solomon had discovered that creation, when approached without thought of God, left little lasting satisfaction. This legendary King, who had the means and wisdom to do or have anything he wished, found that a Godless creation was meaningless and void. He had a desire, which this world simply could not fulfill.
    Do you have a similar desire? Do you find that your job, relationships, food and pleasures just do not satisfy you? C.S. Lewis felt the same, he came to an obvious conclusion:

“If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world”

    The Bible teaches that one day the Lord God will return to his creation and will wrap it up. Man's sin (or rebellion against God) has caused sickness, decay, evil and death. God will remove all of this, and anything else which does not reflect his character, and he will create a new Heavens and a new Earth. The Bible tells us some wonderful things about this new creation. But one thing about it is particularly important: no sinner can be there.
    "Well", you say, "neither of us will be there then!" And you would be right, if it wasn't for the great love and mercy of God. He knew that we were sinful and rebellious, so he sent His only son, Jesus, to die on a cross and to pay the debt owed by us. Jesus Christ has paid for our sin. If we believe on him, and trust in him as the payment for our wrongdoings, then he is faithful to forgive us! More than that, he gives us his own righteousness, so that we are perfect and holy in God's eyes. No wonder that Christians sing so much! We have a lot to sing about!
    As I "wrap up" the Creation's Cache blog series, I would like to leave you with some of the words of a beautiful hymn:

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the works thy hands hath made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed....

Then sings my soul, my saviour God to thee, How great thou art, how great thou art!

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent him to die- I scarce can take it in. That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin....

Then sings my soul, my saviour God to thee, How great thou art, how great thou art! 

Enjoy Creation's Cache of marvels and wonders, but remember, the Creator is even greater!

* This reminds me of one of the songs we got the children singing at the Holiday Bible Club this year: (to be sung to the tune of "The Flintstones"!)

God's Love is the best love that the world has ever ever known,

Deeper than the deep sea, its a love that only God can show,

Wider than the total human race,

Higher than the planets up in space,

God's love is the best love that the world has ever ever,

Will ever, ever,

Can ever, ever know......

[Yabadabadoo!] 

    

Creation's Cache #8

     In 1782, in Switzerland, Anna Goldi was executed for committing the offense of "Witchcraft". She was the last of thousands to be killed across North America and Europe for various forms of the crime; the deaths spanning over 200 years. Estimates vary on the total number, but the number of trials that led to official executions was as high as 12,000. 
     The Witchcraft Act of 1735 de-criminalized the act of witchcraft, instead punishing those who claimed to be witches. Helen Duncan in 1944 was jailed under the Act, although her followers claim that she was arrested due to the Military's fear that she would reveal the top-secret D-Day plans. 
     In 1951 the Act was repealed. 




     Why am I telling you all this? Hmmmmmm. 
     I wonder how you feel about the Witchcraft Act of 1542 which first made witchcraft illegal in England? Perhaps you see it as a testimony of how far our nation has advanced in the 500 years since? Perhaps you see the 16th Century populace as foolish or naive? Perhaps you judge the witchcraft-frenzy of the Middle Ages as cruel and inhumane? I don't know. But this I can say for sure: if the average 21st Century person still believed that witches exist- people who summon evil spirits and forces up in order to torture or mutilate others; who use wicked powers in order to cripple nations and to reek havoc upon innocent neighbours; who commit perverted and twisted acts and rituals- then they would demand that Governments took action against these 'witches' and locked them up in a high-security detention facility! Maybe you do not believe in traditional 'witchcraft', but you still must regard the very idea as being utterly heinous. 
     I can hear you cry: "What does this all have to do with Creation's Cache?!" Well, let me explain...


     We have seen that the Creator has formed life. This "life" is not a simplistic survival-based one, but involves emotions, desires, passions and thoughts. What more can we see by exploring life? 
     C.S. Lewis begins his book, Mere Christianity, with some very interesting observations he makes of the world around him. Everyone experiences quarreling, Lewis says. And listening to this quarreling can teach us an invaluable lesson. What do quarreling people say? "That's mine!" "I was here first!" "Its my turn!" "Thats not fair!" and so on. Even in the act of arguing people still appeal to a mutual sense of justice, honour and fairness, perhaps only on a subconscious level but still present nevertheless.  
    Lets follow another train of thought for a moment: 

Big Bang makes universe. Life forms begin. Blob turns into newt. Strongest newts survive while weakest die. Newts evolve into apes. Stronger and more intelligent apes evolve into rudimentary men. Early man kills off weaker men that do not learn to use tools and weapons. Early man evolves into Man as we know him. 

Where in this course of events did man gain any concept of "fairness" or "sharing" or "taking turns"!! Surely the homo-erectus who lent his flint to another would never get it back and would eventually die of frostbite? Silly example, but you see my point: survival-of-the-fittest leaves no room for a sense of morality. 
     The 'morality' that C.S. Lewis observed in quarreling is prevalent throughout all cultures, ages and peoples. Perhaps you can appreciate my witchcraft example now- although we do not believe in witchcraft, generally speaking, we abhor what it would entail if it did actually start to happen.* The morality of the 1500s was not dissimilar to ours at all. Selfishness, dishonesty and greed has always been frowned upon, and always will be. C.S. Lewis expains that when differing cultures are stripped away, the laws and morals of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Hindus, Chinese, Greeks and Romans are all very similar to each other, and to ours.
    But where, if man simply evolved from blobs of jelly, did this 'morality' come from? Where, in the long process of survival-of-the-fittest, did we stop looking out for ourselves and start looking out for others? At what point did apes start to give to charitable causes? When did men start feeling this strange sensation called "guilt". When did we decide that certain actions- although they make us richer, stronger and more powerful- are not acceptable? Was it in the 20th Century? Or did "honour" and "justice" exist before that? Was it the founding fathers of America who began the trend? Was it in the 1500s? Or did Chivalry exist before that? Was it during the Saxons era? Is that when morality began? No, Greek literature is full of stories of bravery and hope and honour. What about the Egyptians? The Mesopotamians?
    Why weren't these "moral" people wiped out by the self-preservationists? Why weren't they killed when they acted in kindness? Why weren't their homes and possessions stolen from their charitable arms?

     Hmmmmmmmmm. I wonder.

    Maybe, just maybe, the creator of this world -of the entire universe- instilled a sense of morality, a sign post showing what is right and what is wrong, into the hearts and minds of the pinnacle of his creation: us.

     In the book of Romans, which is found in the New Testament of the Bible, the writer is talking about people called Gentiles. Gentiles were people that were not hereditary Jews (so probably including both me and you). The Gentiles had not been given the 10 Commandments, however:

...They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them...

    So, even though they had never heard the 10 Commandments, or any other God-given laws, they still had a law written on their very hearts! How could the writer see this? Through their consciences which "accused" them!  
    Ever felt the pang of your conscience? I have. My own guilt and conscience are not things that I have imagined or whipped up. Why would I, naturally speaking, want a force inside of me that stops me doing what I want to do? Why would anyone? No, but a creator put them in me when I was made. God put barriers in each of us, check-points to warn us when we stray from right and into wrong.
    In his book, The Holy War, John Bunyan (author of the world's #2 Bestseller (after the Bible)) uses the allegory of a city to picture a man. In his city are many colourful people and places. One such person is Mr Conscience. Mr Conscience is a loud sort of fellow, he makes everyone else feel bad and unhappy with his cries of doom and gloom. However he is locked away in his home and passersbys mock him for his bad-news-mongering. Perhaps we can feel a similar way about our consciences- lock them away and laugh at them. But remember: our conscience is a God-given gift, we must heed it and ensure that it has not been blunted through us ignoring its warnings.

    What does this 'Law of Human Nature' tell us about God then? He is the source of all goodness, he gave us our knowledge of right and wrong. He has created us as beings that are more than simply flesh and blood, but as beings who are deeper- spiritual beings. Not only this, but he has clearly shown us his will and his law. The Psalmist, in Psalm 97, looked around him at the world and the sky, and had this to say about God:

The Heavens proclaim His righteousness...

And again, in Psalm 50,

The Heavens declare His righteousness...

Creation doesn't whisper of God's goodness; it doesn't give us a small nudge and cautiously say, "God is quite good, you know." No! It proclaims, it declares! God exists, therefore good exists!
    The Creator and sustainer of the whole Universe is not fickle, he is not unconcerned about what he has made. God did not create us then just leave us to get on with life with no regard to him. Instead he set in our very hearts a law that teaches us of his goodness and love. Pause for a moment and consider the 'morality' we have been looking at. At its very crux is love for others! What a loving God we must have! He has given us a glimpse of His goodness and righteousness. He created us with something more than the animals had- with a sense of what is right and what is wrong!

I will keep your law continually,

forever and ever,

  and I shall walk in a wide place,

for I have sought your precepts.

  I will also speak of your testimonies before kings

and shall not be put to shame,

  for I find my delight in your commandments,

which I love.

  I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,

and I will meditate on your statutes.

  

*Incidentally, if you do totally disagree with me- if you think that the people of the middle ages were cruel and murderous to kill anyone they suspected of witchcraft- then you yourself are judging them by a higher standard. You are comparing our 21st Century morality with theirs and deciding which one is "better" according to an even greater standard. Where did that higher standard come from I wonder? 

Creation's Cache #8

Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.                    John Muir

The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers and cities; but to know someone here and there who thinks and feels with us, and though distant, is close to us in spirit - this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.  Ashley Smith

 The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax.                      Albert Einstein

     What stops a man from killing his neighbour in order to take his car? Why, if we see something we want, that will make our lives 'better', why do we not just take it? When someone stands in my way, why don't I just push him out of it? Why do people all across the world understand the principles of justice, honour, compassion and loyalty?
     Why did the Romans have a system of democracy? Why are politicians expected to account for their expenses? Why do we expect them to be honest? Why do I share in the washing up? Why do we exchange insurance details after a crash and not simply just drive away?
     Huuuum. I wonder.

     Where did this sense of morality come from? Where, in the long process of survival-of-the-fittest, did we stop looking out for ourselves and start looking out for others? At what point did apes start to give to charitable causes? When did men start feeling this strange sensation called "guilt". When did we decide that certain actions- although they make us richer, stronger, more powerful- are not acceptable? Was it in the 20th Century? Or did "honour" and "justice" exist before that? Was it the founding fathers of America who began the trend? Was it in the 1500s? Or did Chivalry exist before that? Was it during the Saxons era? Is that when morality began? No, Greek literature is full of stories of bravery and hope and honour. What about the Egyptians? The Mesopotamians?
       Why weren't these "moral" people wiped out by the self-preservationists? Why weren't they killed when they acted in kindness? Why weren't their homes and possessions stolen from their charitable arms?
       Huuuuum. I wonder.

     Maybe..... maybe, just maybe, the Creator of this world, the Lord of the Universe, instilled a sense of morality, a glimmer of what is right, into the hearts and minds of mankind- the pinnacle of his creation.
      Ever felt the pang of your conscience? I have. My guilt and my conscience are not imagined things. I certainly didn't mix them up and bring them into being. Why would I, naturally speaking, want a force inside of me that stops me doing what I want? Why would anyone? God put them inside of me. He put barriers in each one of us; check points which warn us when we stray from right and into wrong. When culture is stripped away, all of mankind has the same basic law imprinted on them. C.S. Lewis uses the example of Witchcraft to show this point:
One might argue that in the middle ages people were burned as witches. A 21st Century Government would be laughed to scorn if it attempted to arrest "witches". Therefore "morality" has changed, and is not a definite set law. However if we believed, in our modern culture, that people existed who made sacrifices to demonic powers, who performed disgusting and cruel rituals and caused harm and injury to others, then they would demand that they were locked in a high security prison!
      So, morality doesn't change like culture does. Right and Wrong are not flexible principles, they are specific and unchangeable facts.
      A famous philosopher once said:

I think therefore I am.

     One of his contemporaries went one step further:

I think, therefore thinking exists. 

     Perhaps I can make my own assertion:

God is, therefore good is.

      Those who claim that "Everything is true" or "Everyone is right" condemn themselves by their own arguments! If everything is right then nothing is! If what everyone believes is true "for them" then those who believe that they are 'exclusively right' must also be right! That is a paradox that cannot exist!
      But I digress. My point is this: we all know that certain things are 'right' and certain things are 'wrong'. We have been formed with a sense of morality.

      Why is this so important? Because it shows us that there is something more, something deeper, than simply the external. This world, although amazingly beautiful, vast, majestic and just astounding, is only one layer. There is more to creation that what we can see, hear, taste or smell. God has made us as spiritual beings. Unlike the animals, we know 'good' and 'bad'. The Psalmist sees more than simply the beauty of the sky when he says this:

The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

and all the peoples see his glory.

God's goodness, or righteousness, is clearly seen in his creation, the Psalmist saw it and so can we. Romans 1 tells us that God is clearly visible.

Creation's Cache #7

  We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.       Jawaharlal Nehru

     We have explored some of the scenery of planet earth, we have wondered at the beauty and diversity of its valleys and its peaks, of its tundras and its deserts, at the seal and the eagle; but we have put to one side the very pinnacle of God's creation. Any guesses at what it may be?
      Is it the Himalayas? What about the Pacific Ocean? A Black Hole maybe? Or something closer to home: Steak perhaps?  Have you considered Gold or Brass, Platinum or Copper? The Cedars of Lebanon, or the Oaks of Europe? The Whale or the Cheetah? Maybe the Sun?
      Well, according to the bible, and indeed common observation, it is none of the above. Rather, it is mankind themselves. And when we stop and consider, we have to say that  we agree. Man, although not the strongest or the largest or even the fastest creature, is capable of utilizing creation in a way that even the brightest animal cannot. Throughout the ages man has mastered irrigation and farming techniques, allowing us to broaden our scope and to enter into other pursuits. Canals, hose pipes and combine harvesters are all methods used to eliminate the requirement for massive labour forces.
     Besides our ability to use tools and strategies to ease our workloads, we also have great gifts in other ways; man can think, laugh, socialise, enjoy and imagine. Our creator has given us a whole realm of emotions, all allowing us to better appreciate his creation and our place in it. After all, if we didn't have a sense of wonder or awe then how could we glorify and praise our Creator God?
     As we saw in an earlier post, this world was made to be inhabited, the bible says:

For thus says the LORD,

who created the heavens

(he is God!),

who formed the earth and made it

(he established it;

he did not create it empty,

he formed it to be inhabited!):

“I am the LORD, and there is no other".

     So, God created a whole universe, with a specially designed and prepared planet for habitation by us. Why? So we can glorify and praise Him! Even those who foolishly deny God still indirectly praise his works, think of the myriads of nature programs on the BBC! Planet Earth is perhaps the best known documentary covering creation. Although the series claims that all of the universe was formed by the big bang explosion, it is still glorifying the works of the true Creator, even if the producers would be aghast at even the thought of doing such!
     Imagine a sculptor had made a particularly impressive piece. The connoisseurs and experts examining it, while praising its masterful shapes and unspoken passion, attribute it to a 19th Century sculptor. Overhearing their discussions, the true sculptor, although amazed at their foolishness and angry at having been robbed of their direct praise, still is honoured by their admiration, albeit  aimed at the wrong recipient. The fact that we can imagine such a scene, as well as sympathise with the sculptor's emotions, is an argument for a creator rather than a "big bang" in itself! The famous Cambridge professor and author of The Narnia Chronicles, C.S. Lewis, said the following:

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.

     Some might say: If we do indeed have a creator, which I highly doubt, his work is done, why should we feel obliged to honour him in any way? He has no hold over me! The Israelites felt the same way in Isaiah's time. He had an answer for them:

You turn things upside down!

Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,

that the thing made should say of its maker,

“He did not make me”;

or the thing formed say of him who formed it,

“He has no understanding”?

      Its not hard to agree with the prophet Isaiah. Everything we have comes from our creator, both the physical things we use, eat and see; but also the invisible things that we need so much. Our intellect, skills, strength and intuition all come from our creator who formed us. Our health every day and our nourishment all flow from the hands of a Creator God. Every single blessing comes from this Creator. The Universe was created at a single point in our time, however God continues to maintain and sustain his creation every single moment.
      Each new born child was formed in their mother's womb; isn't the journey from embryo to fetus to child such a miraculous one?! We might be able to understand what happens during pregnancy and birth, but can we fully understand how or why it happens? What indeed is life? What physical difference can we see in the body of a person alive, and that of the same person a few moments later who is no longer alive? The life is gone, but all the cellular and physical matter still remains. Even if we could put together all the building blocks of a human, we could not make it any more alive than a brick! In the film Frankenstein, the professor manages to piece together a creature using various body parts of criminals, he then instills "life" into his masterpiece using an electrical current... utter balderdash! If life was an electrical charge then we would treat our mobile phones with much more respect! In GCSE Biology lessons I learnt that "life" is defined by the mnemonic MRS. GREN (Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion and Nutrition), however this is, at best, merely the visible properties of life; they certainly do not give us an explanation or definition of what life really is.
     We give a lot of time to talking about our "consciousness" or "inner beings"; almost all scientists or doctors appreciate that we are made up of more than simply our bodies, there is something much deeper, even spiritual perhaps, about who we really are. However no one can define "life" for certain.  Do you see what I am attempting to get at? Man (the clay) cannot begin to equate themselves with God (the potter). We can't even fathom who we really are, let alone pretend to be able to "create" life itself! When we think that we are intelligent enough to dispute with our creator we are simply deluding ourselves. As one man put it:

If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.

     There is another part of humanity which we cannot fully understand (although some claim to be experts!). It humbles Kings and brings the downfall of empires. It breaks the strongest heart and cheers the saddest mourner. It directly reflects the very character of God himself. It is love. The Creator did not make man to be a solitary being, oh no! The Creator made male and female. He created love. The love that he shows to us is shadowed in our own love for one another, especially in the love between a husband and wife. The idea that that love is merely a reflection of Gods love for us is mind blowing! A creator who could form the mountains and who could mould the galaxies could surely make a manner of reproduction that required no intimacy or emotion. But God did not leave the matter at pure function, no he instead created love. Enjoyment, happiness, joy and love are all emotions that the Creator placed in his finest creation- mankind. Does that not speak vast amounts about our God!

     So, bringing it all together and tieing up the loose ends for today: the Creator has not only created a vast, beautiful and diverse world, but also has populated it with us, the pinnacle of his creation. We are intelligent, resourceful and capable of enjoying and "feeling" his creation. As the pinnacle of the creation we are not more deserving or righteous or special than a dung-beetle: we are what we are because of our creator who made us! Our role is to praise and glorify God, and there is a lot to thank him for!
     Sometimes, when it seems like the "world is against us" and troubles and strifes are multiplying, it can be easy to doubt God, to consider him as cruel or uncaring. And indeed, if we were only to look at creation then we would have to consider a cruel or twisted God as being a possibility, however unlikely. But the Creator has given us more than just (if I can use the word "just"!) his creation, he has also given us a whole book, the Bible! Although we can gather a lot from looking at creation, as I hope I have began to show in this series, we cannot tell all.
     There was a man, as told in the Bible (God's Word to us), called Job. If the world was ever  against anyone, then Job was the one. His family had been killed in various accidents, he had lost all his wealth, he was covered in sores and blisters and for company Job had a moaning wife who told him to "Curse God and die" and 'friends' who condemned him as a sinner. But Job was faithful and refused to deny God, he battled (metaphorically speaking) with his accusers for days. But finally Job did cry out at God, and became proud and bitter. God replied to Job with a blistering speech that humbled the man entirely.
    Lets remember that we are greatly blessed by our Creator. He has given us the breath of life, he formed us before we were born. He sustains us and provides us with our health. Our skills, passions, strength, desires and emotions all have flown from him. He has made us the pinnacle of his creation, so that we can glorify him. But remember this: God created us, not the other way around. We cannot be proud of ourselves- after all, everything that we are is from God- and we certainly cannot become equal to God. To keep us from this foolish mistake, I will leave you with some extracts from the Lord's speech to Job:

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

  Who determined its measurements—surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

Or who shut in the sea with doors

when it burst out from the womb,

  when I made clouds its garment

and thick darkness its swaddling band,

  and prescribed limits for it

and set bars and doors,

  and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,

and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

Have you commanded the morning since your days began,

and caused the dawn to know its place...

Have you entered into the springs of the sea,

or walked in the recesses of the deep?

  Have the gates of death been revealed to you,

or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

  Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?

Declare, if you know all this.

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,

or have you seen the storehouses of the hail...

Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars

and spreads his wings toward the south?

  Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up

and makes his nest on high?

.......Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?

He who argues with God, let him answer it.......