The Joy of Glory

Discovering endless joy in the boundless glory of God…

Tag: sovereignty

March 18, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 1:13-22

Job 1:13-22 (click here)
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (Job 1:20-22)

Reflection
Job stands among four servants…they’re all that’s left. He’s lost everything…or has he. Job recognizes that there is one more present that the four who “alone have escaped” to tell him all this bad news. The Lord is present…and so Job worships.

How can he do this? How can one worship amidst such immeasurable suffering? Job’s explanation is simple, yet has incredible depth… “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Job says that God is sovereign. He has been in control over all the blessings Job had ever received and he is still sovereign over all that Job is losing. We know that he has right for we have seen what is going on behind the curtain of heaven. Satan is attacking, but only in as much as allowed by the sovereign king over all.  Because God is sovereign, Job feels he can respond in worship.

How does that work? Job’s recognition is that he might not understand all that is going on, but God is still on his throne and can be trusted. He will say that God is worthy of worship when everything is great and he will say that God is still worthy of worship when everything falls apart. Even as he suffers, he knows God is in control and has the power to end his suffering…God is his only hope and so even though much has happened that he does not understand he will not let go of his only hope. Job’s faith doesn’t fail because his faith was not founded on all the blessings that are not gone. His faith’s foundation was God…who is still present to sustain Job through all his suffering.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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March 17, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 1:1-12

Job 1:1-12 (click here)
And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” (Job 1:8-11)

Reflection
What is the real reason that Job fears God? Satan’s claim is that Job’s motivation is completely bound up in the fact that God has blessed him with material possessions. He’s claiming that Job doesn’t really love God the giver, but just the gifts. Take away the gifts and he will curse God…at least that is the claim.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I fear God? Why do I love him, cling to him, and trust him?” It is important to know what is the foundation of our faith because if it is anything other than God himself it is a foundation that is easily destroyed.

If Job fears God because of God’s gifts…then his fear/faith is about to be gone. But, if Job fears God because of who God is…then his faith will remain no matter what happens.

What is the root/the foundation of our faith? Is it God’s good gifts or God himself? Only one of those things will sustain us when we undergo attacks from the enemy. Hint…it’s not the gifts.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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