Sunday, August 9, 2009

Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way...


The Word for today: Job 30:1 -- 31:40
mark this: Job 31





Here' a summary of chapter 31:
"I'm so blameless, my character is so sterling--yet look at all the calamity that has befallen me."

This is where I tire of Job. He justifies himself throughout this section. According to Job, the world would be just fine if only everybody were like him.

The implication is that God can't add 2 + 2 and come up with 4. If only God could see straight...

Don't attempt to justify yourself before God, to tell Him how great thou art--that if only He would move over, you'd steer the universe in the right direction. When you justify yourself, you implicitly blame God for the things that went wrong in your life.

A wonderful Bible word is contrite. Contrite is the opposite of proud:

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit (1).
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (2).
For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (3)

Let contrition mark your demeanor when you interact with God. Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back. We do not stand before God on equal terms.

God is listening, and soon He'll tire of Job as well. Stay tuned.

(1) Psalm 34:18; (2) Psalm 51:17 (3) Isaiah 57:15

No comments:

Post a Comment