Job's Fidelity

10/23/2011 8:08:31 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  Job’s Fidelity

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                          Reference:  Job 1:20-22

                Message of the verses:  20 ¶  Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21  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." 22  Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”

                I must say that when I read these three verses that I am completely amazed at how Job handled the situation that he found himself in.  As mentioned in yesterday’s SD I see complete contentment of heart in these verses as to how Job handled this situation not knowing that he was actually being a man who was involved in a situation that he did not know about.  I truly believe that God knew how Job would react in this situation, and saying that is kind of preposterous because one of the attributes of God is that He is all knowing.

                What Job was saying in verse twenty-one was that God had given to him everything that he had, for he was only a steward of those things that were given to him by the gracious hand of the Lord, and the Lord could take them back again if He desired to do this, and Job perfectly understood this.

                This verse also shows Job looking ahead to his death when he said that naked he would return there.  Job realized like Paul “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.”  (1Timothy 6:7) 

                Next we see in verse twenty-one that Job looked up and worshiped the Lord, something that Satan said to God that he would not do, but Satan said that he would curse God when these things were taken away from him.  Again God knew that Job would not curse Him.  By worshipping God at a time like this surely shows the maturity of Job.  It reminds me of what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians at the end of his first letter to them when he gave some wonderful advice in three short verses:  “16 Rejoice always; 17  pray without ceasing; 18  in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  We see from Job 1:21 that Job followed these verses, and the reason that I say that Job prayed without ceasing was because he would have had to do this in order to be able to trust the Lord in this dark event that he was going through.

                Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I look at verse twenty-two I am truly amazed at what it says, for most people would have blamed God and would have been asking why God?  Why did you allow this to happen to me?  Haven’t I served you, given my tithes to You? Or something like this, but not Job.  Job gave thanks and worshipped the Lord.  I have heard that in everything give thanks” does not mean that you have to be thankful in everything, but by giving thanks you realize that God is in control and is working all of these things out so that it will be for your good and for His glory.  We will see this as the story of Job unfolds.  Many people when they think of the book of Job remember Job’s patience, and that is here, but as we study this book we find that there is much more to Job than just his patience.  Job is a good man to pattern your life after, especially when trouble comes into your life.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1.    In everything give thanks.

2.    Pray without ceasing.

3.    Rejoice always.

4.    Put on the spiritual armor:  The belt of truth; the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, take up the shield of faith, take up the helmet of salvation, and take up the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.

5.    Continue to learn contentment.

10/23/2011 8:50:22 AM