01/05/2011 - JOB’S EXAMPLE

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“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” (Job 1:1)
We know very little about the land of Uz, but that’s not the point I want to make. Suffice it to say that there lived a man with many qualities, but as you’ll see, there’s hope for each one of us born in this world. It doesn’t matter where we’re born or raised but the fulfilment of God’s purpose. What is expected from you and me, as well as from all the other human beings, is that we serve our Creator. Whether a person is wealthy or famous in the fields of sport or science or in any other area of his/her life, nothing is as relevant as the fulfilment of God’s plan.
The man this message is talking about has a very short name: Job. Everyone should be nicknamed Job, which means “going back to God”. So we should also examine our actions – as that patriarch did – as well as our children’s actions and make sure we’re living an unblemished life, a life in which the most demanding of all mortals will not find any flaw. Is it impossible to happen? It is, actually, for worldly men, but not for those who serve God because all things are possible for them (Mark 9:23).
Deception finds no shelter in the hearts of those who serve the Lord; even if they have been tempted to walk down the path of falsehood, they’ll always come back to our Father. Nobody will ever be able to please the Most High if the adjective “righteous” cannot be found in their record. Those who don’t keep their promises or don’t carry out the divine orders to the letter and don’t speak accurately about what they have in their hearts are certainly in trouble. Righteousness takes you everywhere and opens up huge doors. Being righteous is about living in accordance with the Word of the Lord. We don’t need to make sacrifices to live righteously; all we have to do is to take the Bible as our life standard. What the Word condemns cannot even be taken into account.
According to the Scriptures, those who fear the Lord shall not want (Psalm 23: 1); yet, the children of God don’t take that seriously. Look at your
flaws and confess that you haven’t been respectful of the Almighty God. Those who fear God show through their behavior that the Lord’s present in their lives and that they thrive in everything.
Job is not supposed to be worshipped, but his example must be copied. Though he went through one of the worst crisis anyone could ever experience, he was victorious in the end. And the same will happen to those who trust God and decide to do what’s pleasant to Him. Anyone who pleases our Creator and Lord of all things will certainly see the desires of their heart being fulfilled.
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares