The Joy of Glory

Discovering endless joy in the boundless glory of God…

Tag: Lent

April 3, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 21

Job 21 (click here)
[The wicked] spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. 14 They say to God, “Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. 15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?” (Job 21:13-15)

Reflection
Job is once again rebuking his friends and pointing out holes in their tight knit theodicy. Again and again he claims that the wicked do not always experience punishment for their sins, but are often prosperous in this life. Do we not see this played even today?

All around us, people prosper through lying, cheating, oppressing, etc. Dishonesty has become considered necessary if one wants to succeed in gaining power or wealth. Even more than that, how often have you seen someone be successful who has no regard for God… or perhaps they even mock him! Yet, their success seems to have no end.

Without meaning to do so, Job is actually highlighting for us another tactic of Satan to keep people from worshipping the Lord, namely, prosperity. Throughout this book, we have watched Satan use pain to try and get Job to curse God, but I think Satan actually uses prosperity for this purpose even more so than pain.

Perhaps the entire reason he brought pain into Job’s life was that Job was not distracted from worship of the Lord amidst all his original prosperity! Job points out to us that many people who are prosperous see no need for God. There is no purpose in serving him or praying to him, for they have everything they want and couldn’t imagine any more benefit from serving some deity.

This is what happens when we view our relationship with God as a means to some other end. If we only want God so that he will do “x” for us or give us “y” then if we already have it… we don’t need him… and if it is withheld or taken away… we curse him. Pleasure or pain brings our “relationship” with God to ruin when the foundation of that relationship is anything other than joy in God himself!

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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April 2, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 20

Job 20 (click here)
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: 2 “Therefore my thoughts answer me, because of my haste within me. 3 I hear censure that insults me, and out of my understanding a spirit answers me. (Job 20:1-3)

Reflection
Zophar doesn’t have much new to say. He pretty much will tell Job that God judges the wicked quickly and, therefore, Job should see his situation as a clear indication that he is being judged by God for some unconfessed sin in his life. Yet, before Zophar repeats everything we’ve heard so far… he says something interesting…

He claims that Job has insulted him.

Now, I’m not saying that Job hasn’t taken a pot-shot or two at his friends, but Zophar seems to especially have taken things personally. He cannot believe that Job won’t listen as he impugns Job’s honor… but the moment Job questions Zophar… well now he has just crossed a line! This is quite the double-standard!

Zophar has made Job’s situation all about himself! This is about Zophar being right, this is about him being honored, this is about how he feels when he is insulted. No longer is Zophar interested in helping Job (if he ever was), but merely in maintaining his own reputation and dignity.

We must be careful as we seek to minister to others that our “ministering” is really about their needs and not our own. I can twist nearly any situation to be about me… what can I say… I’m naturally selfish… we all are. When we attempt to help someone who is hurting, it can be common for them to lash out at us… we must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

May our chief concern in ministry not be our own honor and reputation, but pointing others toward holiness and reconciliation in Christ.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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April 1, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 19

Job 19 (click here)
Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! 24 Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! 25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God… (Job 19:23-26)

Reflection
If only Job knew… his words would be written in a book for future generations to read. His wish would come true in a way that he could scarcely imagine. Yet, for what purpose does Job want his words recorded? The answer is given in verse 25 which begins with the word “For…” indicating purpose.

Job wants his words recorded because his redeemer, his God is the living God who will stand upon the earth and Job will see him in his flesh. It is hard to know how much Job intends to communicate to us through these words, but as a Christian… we cannot help but see the promise of ultimate redemption through resurrection!

Our redeemer has stood upon the earth… Jesus Christ. He has paid the price for our redemption through his own death and resurrection so that even when our flesh is destroyed (we die) we will be raised again! And in our resurrection bodies we will stand upon a new heaven and new earth and we shall see our God (Revelation 22:4)!

At the very least, Job wants his words recorded because even if his flesh should ultimately be destroyed, he has faith that his living redeemer will give him victory beyond the grave! He wants all of posterity to remember that he did not die in defeat… that through his God, even death cannot win!

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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