Job 2.10 He
replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God,
and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
Last week at my men’s group, I was part of a conversation
where someone conjectured that the current election cycle was possibly the
result of God removing our dependence on our affluence and replacing it with
something new and different. His contention was that God is removing our
blessings and influence as a nation. I can tell you, the conversation got
pretty lively at that point.
The argument between God and Satan in Job 1 and 2 is
this: Job only serves You (God) because You give him stuff. Take the stuff
away and he will curse you to Your face! (Cf. Job 1.11; 2.5) I think, like
my friend, the United States may be going through a Jobian moment; all the
stuff we have held so tightly is being removed in order to see where our hearts
really are.
Affluence and blessing are not necessarily bad things
until they become gods and are taken
for granted. As a nation, I think we have fallen prey to thanklessness; we aren’t
grateful. I think we think saying: “God bless America” is our right and not our privilege. And this coming election has us on a collision course
with judgment: take away all our stuff and we’ll see what our response to God
may be…
I have a son in the US Air Force. He is gung-ho and ready
to serve this nation and protect our way of life. Have we taken a good look at
our way of life lately? We abort millions of babies because we want sex but not
the consequences of sex. We are deeply in debt as a people and as a nation
because we want the money-wheel to keep turning and cranking out what it gives
us: a lifestyle of luxury with no end in sight, and investors betting against
our success as a nation.
We have a Church that has been relegated to irrelevance
to millions because She cannot seem to stop preaching a gospel of health and
prosperity while millions are being deceived at the altar of blessing. Make no
mistake, I believe God wants to bless us – I just think He wants us to bless us
His way, not ours.
In God’s conversation with Satan the argument was Job was
a spoiled brat and feigned righteousness because he was wealthy. God considered
Job blameless; Satan considered him a phony.
Where will our country be in four years? Will we have
drawn closer to God or will we have drifted farther away? When does the current
party of Americanism end? What is the fallout of that? Where will the Church’s
love for God be when all of the party favors are removed? Will our love stand?
Or are we in it just for the fun?
The Book of Job is a strange story to me of God’s making
His point in the life of someone He cared about. The path the United States is
on is a strange reality to me of its love affair with affluence and its
attitude toward it: we got dozens of
friends and the fun never ends, that it as long as we’re buying…
Father, my prayer
is to see revival in our churches and to see the tide change. I pray for change
in the Church to bring about change in our culture. I ask for wisdom and I ask
for humility. And I ask for mercy, and I ask for grace. I pray for a new season
of thanksgiving. And I trust You in our possible Jobian future… Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment