10.17.12
Job 1.1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was
Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from
evil. NASB
There really isn’t much to it: be blameless, upright, fear God, and turn away from evil. It isn’t
rocket science, it isn’t brain surgery – it’s a matter of the heart.
Blamelessness is not being at fault; and when one is at fault, one makes amends. Blamelessness
is not, “never making a mistake”; blamelessness is striving to live life with
as few unforced errors as possible and making amends for the ones one does
make.
Uprightness is walking with integrity, wisdom, and yes,
intelligence. Uprightness is being honest. Uprightness is living courteously
and in self-control. Uprightness is always striving for the good of another but
never bending the rules to accomplish it. Uprightness is ethically clean.
Of the things Job is known for, fearing God, to me, is
the greatest. Fearing God is simply respecting Him. It isn’t cowering in fear of
God’s vengeance – although those who fear God have a healthy respect for His
vengeance. Our world would be a kinder gentler place if there was a fear of
God: an acknowledgement of His person and a respect for His Sovereignty.
Fearing God is the thing that helps in decision making
and in gauging self-control. As a matter of fact fearing God is the place from
which all virtue springs. One can be morally adept, can tell the truth, and
have respect, but not fear God. Without the fear of God there is no safeguard
to keep one’s life in balance and to ensure uprightness.
At the heart of all Job was, was his heart: Job had given
God his heart. Job was tired of the way men treated each other and he decided
he wasn’t going to live that way. Job saw how deals were made and contracts
were written and made up his mind that he wasn’t going to exclude God from any
of it. Job had given God his heart and God had it. And the reason we know this
is because God said, not of a king, not of a Jew, but of a rancher out in Uz: “Have you considered My servant Job? For
there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God
and turning away from evil.” (Job 1.8) NASB When God makes these kinds of
statements it ought to get our notice.
Job was a man of character and lived his life out of his
character. God uses people of great character to do great things. And God uses
great things to shape our character so that when the need presents itself, from
out of our character come words akin to these: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The
Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
(v. 1.24) That’s character – that’s fear of the Lord.
A fearing heart trusts the Lord. A fearing heart praises
the Lord. A fearing heart loves the Lord. A fearing heart seeks to please the
Lord. A fearing heart knows the Lord.
Lord, may my life be lived in fear of Who You are and in
love with all that is – amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment