The Light of Job

I am working on a chronological daily reading plan and this week I have been working my way through the book of Job.  I struggle on many levels with the book of Job.  I think my own American understanding of the world has colored my perspective of God.  As I read the book of Job, I have a great problem with the idea of God allowing all those awful things happen to Job as a way to show that Job will remain faithful to God despite them.  I think I struggle so much with the idea of God doing this because I know that I would fail that test miserably.  I can't even imagine surviving the first round the Devil exacted against Job more less making it to the direct assault on Job's body.  I also am not sure that I would've been able to be confident in my own righteousness against friends trying to persuade me to confess my sins to God.  

You have to admit that Job's faith was pretty incredible.  He spent a considerable amount of time arguing for his innocence to his friends despite all that had happened to him.  I think the thing I struggle with the most in the book of Job is the fact that Job truly was innocent.  It seems to me that this is why God allowed the devil to do all he did in the first place.  Job lived a life that honored God.  Job was as far as we could tell practically sinless.  

I struggle in so many ways each day in my walk as a Christian.  Like the photo at the beginning of the blog, I sometimes struggle with being right next to the light but not living in it.  I stumble in my heart, my mind, my words, and my actions daily.  I'm not even sure I have ever made it through one day without sinning.  It is like I walk in the light for a time but take wander into the dark from time to time.  I can't even imagine living a mostly sinless life.  I can't imagine being such an honorable and Godly man that God would have so much confidence in me to allow the devil to test me knowing that I would not turn from Him.  I want to be able to live a life that honors and is devoted to God like Job was.  I hope that my faith and walk will grow to the level of holding fast to God no matter what I experience or encounter in this life.  I hope that i can become a man who walks in the light and truth of God all the time and never wanders into the dark.

I am not done with the book of Job yet though I do know that a point is coming up where Job questions God and God gives him the riot act.  I can't even imagine the pain Job must've felt.  It is hard for me to see that my life truly is about God and His kingdom.  I am not on this planet to live an easy and blessed life.  Though God may give me a blessed and generous life, I have to remember that everything in my life is from Him.  It is so funny that I think I own things in this life.  I believe the book of Job makes it perfectly clear that the Lord can give and take away and there is nothing we can say about it because God is perfectly just in both actions.  

I know this blog is not particularly uplifting but our understanding of God and His sovereignty is a lesson we better not miss.  We need to remember that our lives are to be lived for Him only.  We have to remember that any possession we have has been given to us by God.  We have to remember that as Christians we are to live for His kingdom only.  Can you trust in God no matter what?  Can you surrender your heart to Him fully no matter what your life looks like?  Can you give up everything and still praise Him daily?  To have a full and real relationship with Jesus, we need to be able answer yes to each one of these tough questions.

Blessings,

Greg