FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
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Monday, May 19, 2008,10:58 a.m.
JOB'S RESPONSE
I have been reading the first chapter of Job this morning. I often use verses from this chapter when leading worship, especially for the song Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman), that directly quotes verse 21.
But it was verse 20 that really struck my this morning. It comes just after the incredible immediacy of the destruction of everything Job has and holds dear - his possessions, his livelihood, his servants, and his children. Job's response is what has held my attention this morning, but not the response of the words, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (verse 21b)" which I so often use to teach and lead. It is that right after hearing of destruction after destruction, Job's response is this:
"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshipped." (Job 1:20)
His response was to worship. I can worship in response to God's glory and His great kindness. I can worship in response to His love for me and His character in general. But I know, to my own grief and shame, that I have been missing the mark when it comes to worshipping God as a response to my grievous circumstances. I struggle just to worship through them, but in reading this I am struck by how much I need to learn to worship as a response to them.
I have a long way to go. I understand a little better now why Job was called a righteous man....
(Later in the day....)
Above was the original end of this post. Through the day I've continued to ponder this, and will probably do so for some time. I looked up Matthew Henry's commentary on this portion of Job, and was impacted by a couple of things from his writing on the subject.
...The same who gave hath taken away. See how Job looks above instruments, and keeps his eye upon the First Cause. Afflictions must not divert us from, but quicken us to religion.... [I would use a different word than religion - keep in mind that this is not contemporary writing.]
...All we have is from his gift; we have forfeited it by sin, and ought not to complain if he takes any part from us. Discontent and impatience charge God with folly. Against these Job carefully watched; and so must we, acknowledging that as God has done right....
There is much here to process.
But it was verse 20 that really struck my this morning. It comes just after the incredible immediacy of the destruction of everything Job has and holds dear - his possessions, his livelihood, his servants, and his children. Job's response is what has held my attention this morning, but not the response of the words, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (verse 21b)" which I so often use to teach and lead. It is that right after hearing of destruction after destruction, Job's response is this:
"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshipped." (Job 1:20)
His response was to worship. I can worship in response to God's glory and His great kindness. I can worship in response to His love for me and His character in general. But I know, to my own grief and shame, that I have been missing the mark when it comes to worshipping God as a response to my grievous circumstances. I struggle just to worship through them, but in reading this I am struck by how much I need to learn to worship as a response to them.
I have a long way to go. I understand a little better now why Job was called a righteous man....
(Later in the day....)
Above was the original end of this post. Through the day I've continued to ponder this, and will probably do so for some time. I looked up Matthew Henry's commentary on this portion of Job, and was impacted by a couple of things from his writing on the subject.
...The same who gave hath taken away. See how Job looks above instruments, and keeps his eye upon the First Cause. Afflictions must not divert us from, but quicken us to religion.... [I would use a different word than religion - keep in mind that this is not contemporary writing.]
...All we have is from his gift; we have forfeited it by sin, and ought not to complain if he takes any part from us. Discontent and impatience charge God with folly. Against these Job carefully watched; and so must we, acknowledging that as God has done right....
There is much here to process.
