Last time around, Job was all I could think about, mostly because the last lecture I had listened to had made a profound impact on me. I think that, for the first time, I truly began to understood just how deep the meaning of the phrase "the fear of the Lord" goes. All too often, we're led to believe that it simply means "respect", or "reverence". The phrase does imply both of those attributes, but the possibilities go far beyond an outward showing of respect. Anyone can kneel at an altar, but that doesn't necessarily mean one's heart is in the right place.
For those who deny Jesus as Lord and Savior, an outward showing of respect is the best they'll be able to offer at the Great White Throne, and they will be rejected for it. Only then will they truly understand what it means to fear God. For those of us who accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we do so because we, at some level, understand the fear of the Lord within our hearts. We recognize that our own eternity is within His sovereign hand. We understand that we aren't worthy of Him, but He invites us to come to Him anyway, because He loves us.
The fear of the Lord is understanding that everything you are, everything you have, and everything you experience amount to absolutely nothing in the presence of our holy God. He can steer us down any path He chooses. Our very existence depends on Him. We didn't create this world we live in. We didn't create food, water, and air - the very basics of our survival. He did, and He can just as easily do away with all of it. Your next meal depends on Him. Your next breath depends on Him. Your entire future depends on Him. Imposing thoughts, aren't they?
I have since reread what I wrote last time, and I am able to see things in a new way. I now agree with the rebuke I received from one of my mentors in the faith. "Wow," I thought, "I really did blast Job. He didn't deserve all that!" I suppose that I spent a little too much time on a devotional application of the book, putting myself in Job's shoes before the Creator, while failing to take into account the context of his encounter. I tend to hold myself to a very high standard, and I rake myself over the coals regularly because of it. Apparently, too much of that got projected on Job last time. My apologies.
To Job's credit, God did point him out to Satan first. He did describe him as "perfect" and "upright". Normally, God just brags on Himself (and He has every right to do so, being holy). This time, He actually bragged on Job. An Old Testament saint can't get much more righteous in this sin-cursed world than that! It's difficult for those of us who have been saved by His grace to believe that the holy God of all could brag on one man, a man who had the same sin nature as the rest of us, yet there it is in God's Word.
How blessed we believers in Christ are to be clothed in His righteousness, to be unbound by the law, and to have the privilege of stepping before His throne of grace at any time, knowing that He hears, understands, and loves us. I'm so glad the Lord allowed me to live on this side of the cross. Great is the Lord, and worthy of glory!
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? - Job 1:8
For those who deny Jesus as Lord and Savior, an outward showing of respect is the best they'll be able to offer at the Great White Throne, and they will be rejected for it. Only then will they truly understand what it means to fear God. For those of us who accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we do so because we, at some level, understand the fear of the Lord within our hearts. We recognize that our own eternity is within His sovereign hand. We understand that we aren't worthy of Him, but He invites us to come to Him anyway, because He loves us.
The fear of the Lord is understanding that everything you are, everything you have, and everything you experience amount to absolutely nothing in the presence of our holy God. He can steer us down any path He chooses. Our very existence depends on Him. We didn't create this world we live in. We didn't create food, water, and air - the very basics of our survival. He did, and He can just as easily do away with all of it. Your next meal depends on Him. Your next breath depends on Him. Your entire future depends on Him. Imposing thoughts, aren't they?
I have since reread what I wrote last time, and I am able to see things in a new way. I now agree with the rebuke I received from one of my mentors in the faith. "Wow," I thought, "I really did blast Job. He didn't deserve all that!" I suppose that I spent a little too much time on a devotional application of the book, putting myself in Job's shoes before the Creator, while failing to take into account the context of his encounter. I tend to hold myself to a very high standard, and I rake myself over the coals regularly because of it. Apparently, too much of that got projected on Job last time. My apologies.
To Job's credit, God did point him out to Satan first. He did describe him as "perfect" and "upright". Normally, God just brags on Himself (and He has every right to do so, being holy). This time, He actually bragged on Job. An Old Testament saint can't get much more righteous in this sin-cursed world than that! It's difficult for those of us who have been saved by His grace to believe that the holy God of all could brag on one man, a man who had the same sin nature as the rest of us, yet there it is in God's Word.
How blessed we believers in Christ are to be clothed in His righteousness, to be unbound by the law, and to have the privilege of stepping before His throne of grace at any time, knowing that He hears, understands, and loves us. I'm so glad the Lord allowed me to live on this side of the cross. Great is the Lord, and worthy of glory!
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? - Job 1:8
1 comment:
Thanks for writing I needed that!
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