The Joy of Glory

Discovering endless joy in the boundless glory of God…

Tag: treasure

April 4, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 22

Job 22 (click here)
If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents, 24 if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, 25 then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. 26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. (Job 22:23-26)

Reflection
With these words, Eliphaz reveals the root problem with his (and Job’s other friends) theology. We’ve already seen that he has a “transaction” based theology. In other words, do good and God does good to you. Do bad and God does bad to you. This is the exact belief system that Satan assumed Job had in chapters 1-2.

Yet, right here, in chapter 22, Eliphaz reveals the ultimate problem created by such a “transactional” faith. He tells Job that if he will repent and return to the Lord he will be built back up… i.e. God will bless him with wealth, health, and favorable circumstances again. Then come his words in verse 25… and it is the kicker…

Once Job returns and is built back up, THEN God will become his treasure. Eliphaz believes that God is treasured through things. This could not be further from the truth! This is a treasuring of things… not of God! It is a treasuring of gifts… not the giver! Eliphaz cannot imagine a scenario in which God is treasured when all the gifts are gone.

Job is struggling with what God is doing in his life, but he has not let go of God, because he understands what it truly means to have God as treasure… to love him more than any of the possessions or people in your life… to treasure him more than your own health. If God is not our treasure amidst pain, he will never be our treasure amidst pleasure. We, like Eliphaz, will deceive ourselves into believing that we delight in God when, in reality, all we delight in are his gifts.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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March 16, 2014

Lent Devotional: Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 12 (click here)
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. [14] For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Reflection
Solomon began by saying that nothing mattered, but he ends saying everything matters because it matters to God! God will bring everything and everyone into judgment…so every single act, thought, word, etc matters!

This fills our heart with fear…terror…and rightfully so because we know that our hearts are full of sin and deserve nothing, but God’s judgment. Yet, we are not called to respond with awful fear, but with awe-filled fear.

Fear God. See him for who he is and be in awe of him. Treasure him. Trust him. Our God is one who has not poured out his judgment upon us, but upon himself. Jesus Christ has received the judgment for our deeds (even the ones done in secret). Our response is to fear him, revere him, treasure him, love him, embrace him, trust him.  If we do that, it shows up in that we follow him (keep his commands).

The fact that God will judge everything and everyone does not fill the believer with awful terror, but puts us in awe of our treasure…Christ. For he has borne our penalty of death to bring us life. Let us fear him and follow him.


*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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