“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”
JOB 38-39
1Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
2“Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?
3Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
4“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7while the morning stars sang together
ACTS 15:1-21
19“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
JOURNAL
God shows up...God speaks and immediately puts Job in his place so that he will listen. Paul and Barnabas realize the difficulty of freedom and how the Gentiles need to understand things in process.
One thing that I have failed to realize in reading through Job in the past is the subtle shades of gray over the truth that are embraced by both Job and his friends. His friends are right in their reverence for God. They are right in the fact that we are to honor God and not question him and his love for us. However, they err in ascribing God's reward and punishments. Job, on the other hand, is right in his assessment that the calamities that have happened to him are not a result of his sin. However, Job errs in assuming that God is unconcerned with his plight.
To me, the whole point of this book of the Bible is to displace the whole idea that God's reward for us is pleasure, ease, and success. The reality is that God's reward for us is simply the gift of another day and the joy of living it with him as our God. That is the treasure in this life. It's not wealth, possessions, trophies or titles. Our greatest reward is the presence of God in our hearts and minds.
But here is the gray area in my life and where my perspective is in need of correction. Because of my realization and truth that God's reward is not pleasure, ease and success, I often have conceded to half-ass a lot of things. I have allowed myself to mail it in and reasoned that "success" really is not what matters. There is my sin...mailing it in and finding a way to justify it.
One thing that I have failed to realize in reading through Job in the past is the subtle shades of gray over the truth that are embraced by both Job and his friends. His friends are right in their reverence for God. They are right in the fact that we are to honor God and not question him and his love for us. However, they err in ascribing God's reward and punishments. Job, on the other hand, is right in his assessment that the calamities that have happened to him are not a result of his sin. However, Job errs in assuming that God is unconcerned with his plight.
To me, the whole point of this book of the Bible is to displace the whole idea that God's reward for us is pleasure, ease, and success. The reality is that God's reward for us is simply the gift of another day and the joy of living it with him as our God. That is the treasure in this life. It's not wealth, possessions, trophies or titles. Our greatest reward is the presence of God in our hearts and minds.
But here is the gray area in my life and where my perspective is in need of correction. Because of my realization and truth that God's reward is not pleasure, ease and success, I often have conceded to half-ass a lot of things. I have allowed myself to mail it in and reasoned that "success" really is not what matters. There is my sin...mailing it in and finding a way to justify it.
The reality is that if I am obeying God then every action, every pursuit, every relationship should be pursued with the relentless goal of perfection. That's my worship, that is my obedience. Whether it is honored or the world rewards my pursuit matters not. However the relentless pursuit is all that matters.
This relentless pursuit can and will often lead to earthly pleasures and rewards but it just as easily can lead to persecution and death. Therefore his presence and the joy of his presence must be our reward. It must drive us to give our best, every moment of every day. It must drive us to furthering his Kingdom and making the most of the daily tasks before us. It must infect our hearts and minds in a way that strengthen us against the criticisms and praise. So that our only objective is serving him and encouraging others to do the same.
12Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.
PROVERBS 18:12
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