Have you Considered?
A Study in JOB – 1
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“Why do I have to suffer – I am upright in all God’s ways ?”
This was Job’s argument.
Now, remember, Job’s creed was that God only prospered the upright.
“You have sinned against God…
- repent of the wicked deeds you must have committed,”
This was the retort of Job’s friends – they also believed God only punished the wicked.
BOTH had elements of the truth – and BOTH had elements of the untruth,
God does indeed bless the righteous.. but He also blesses sinful man as well,
Evil does fall upon the wicked.. but God also permits evil in the lives of saints as well.
But ALL good that comes to man – comes from a good and faithful God,
And ALL the evil that befalls both sinner and saved alike – is perpetrated by satan…
But good and evil alike – God uses it all to forward His eternal plans and purposes.
God’s Word proclaims that He does indeed blesses the righteous and He does punishes the wicked..
Satan the current ruler of this domain is God’s bitterest adversary,
The prince of the power of the air seeks to counterfeit the Spirit’s workings in man,
The enemy seeks to distort the goodness of God, by distorting God’s Truth.
What is your belief ?
What is the creed to which you hold fast ?
Are there elements in your faith, that on closer scrutiny don’t hold fast with scripture ?
“Have you considered my servant Job ?” Job.1:8
Job was indeed “perfect, upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”
No external fault could be found with him, Job.1
But there were elements in Job’s pure, virtuous life, needing the Spirit’s refining touch,
Elements the moral, upright, proud, self-governed heart of Job, needed to learn.
And God used the circumstances in Job’s life to bring him into a closer walk with God,
- just as God uses happenings in our lives, to draw us closer to Himself.
Chambers once wrote:-
“One of the most cunning travesties, is to represent Satan…
- as the instigator of external sins.”
The devil certainly was instrumental in the birth of fleshly sins and the carnal nature,
But satan seeks much more from the man of God, that to tempt his with such trifles….
He desires to manage the mind and heart of believing man – in a more subtle way.
He seeks to influence man’s heart against His Creator – through Self-government,
So that believing man cries…
“Why do I have to suffer
- I am upright in all God’s ways ….
Let me curse God and die….”
The underlying lesson of the life of Job has NOTHING to do with sins.
It has NOTHING to do with sins that righteous Job did or did not commit -
It has NOTHING to do sins Job’s friends accused Him of committing.
Past, present and future sins of the believing man are ALL forgiven and forgotten.
The same holds true for the man of God today – all sins are forgiven and forgotten,
- past, present and future – all forgiven and forgotten
So don’t pride yourself that your forgiven sins are influencing the troubles in your life…
But God DOES have a purpose for each life -
- and He USES trial and tribulations, instigated by Satan, to achieve His perfect will.
The one area in the life of this upright man – (one of Ezekiel’s “These Three Men….”
(Noah, Daniel and Job) …was that he, like us, should ‘understand’ God’s Divine Fullness…
The one lesson these three men learned was a deeper knowledge of God..
- a deeper understanding of Himself.
And this is what He desires to teach us through our difficulties – His Fullness
The fullness of God : the fullness of Christ : the fullness of Himself.
- the Fullness of our faithful God (Eph 3:19)
- the Fullness of our faithful Christ (Eph 4:13)
- the Fullness of the faithful Godhead (Col 2:9)
… that you may be FILLED with the Fullness of God…
… and come to the measure of the Fullness of Christ…
… so that the the Fullness of the Godhead….. makes you complete in Him.
Oh yes!
Job is indeed a great example -
- one we all would do well to consider…
Have you really considered my servant Job…. ?
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- Have you Considered – part 1
- Full Study Index for ‘A Study In JOB’
- A Study In JOB
- Footnote
- One of Ezekiel’s “These Three Men….” Ezekiel 14:14
Elizabeth Haworth
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