Whatever Our State, We Must Give Glory
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."
--Job 1:20-21 NASB
These were the words of Job upon hearing of the loss of all his children and property. The Book of Job wrestles with an age-old question: If God is a God of love and mercy, why do the righteous suffer? In the book, Job's three friends gave essentially the same answer: all suffering was due to sin. Though one friend, Elihu, put a spin on this in that he declared that suffering was often the means of purifying the righteous. Elihu therefore reasoned that God's purpose was to strip away all of Job's self-righteousness in order to bring him to the place of complete trust in God.
We cannot deny that an absence of material goods and concerns does allow us greater opportunity to focus on God. However, that truth is an aside to the book's true purpose.
The Book of Job clearly teaches the sovereignty of God and the need for us to acknowledge such. Job recognized God's hands in his affairs and demonstrated a proper attitude toward his possessions. They were a gracious gift from God, not things he had earned and therefore had a right to keep.
Our suffering must be seen in the light of the ongoing cosmic struggle between God and Satan. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, we participate daily in events that have eternal significance for those around us. While it is true that God can choose to bless us, those blessings cannot distract us. Our gain or lost is secondary to our command to glorify God in all that we say and do. For through His glory, all are drawn to Him.
Father, I thank You for my blessings. Please forgive me for taking some for granted and for holding on to others too tightly. When they come, help me to give glory to You. And when they go, as one day they all will, help me also to give proper glory to You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
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--Job 1:20-21 NASB
These were the words of Job upon hearing of the loss of all his children and property. The Book of Job wrestles with an age-old question: If God is a God of love and mercy, why do the righteous suffer? In the book, Job's three friends gave essentially the same answer: all suffering was due to sin. Though one friend, Elihu, put a spin on this in that he declared that suffering was often the means of purifying the righteous. Elihu therefore reasoned that God's purpose was to strip away all of Job's self-righteousness in order to bring him to the place of complete trust in God.
We cannot deny that an absence of material goods and concerns does allow us greater opportunity to focus on God. However, that truth is an aside to the book's true purpose.
The Book of Job clearly teaches the sovereignty of God and the need for us to acknowledge such. Job recognized God's hands in his affairs and demonstrated a proper attitude toward his possessions. They were a gracious gift from God, not things he had earned and therefore had a right to keep.
Our suffering must be seen in the light of the ongoing cosmic struggle between God and Satan. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, we participate daily in events that have eternal significance for those around us. While it is true that God can choose to bless us, those blessings cannot distract us. Our gain or lost is secondary to our command to glorify God in all that we say and do. For through His glory, all are drawn to Him.
Father, I thank You for my blessings. Please forgive me for taking some for granted and for holding on to others too tightly. When they come, help me to give glory to You. And when they go, as one day they all will, help me also to give proper glory to You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
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