Job was "one who feared God and turned away from evil." After you are dead and gone wouldn't it be great if that could be said about you? I would love to so live and love God, people and life so that when I am gone that my wife, children, family and friends could say that Mark loved God, feared God and turned away from evil. Think about it, not only was it said of Job but it was written in scripture! Even more amazing to me is what God says about Job...in Job 1:8 God in a conversation with Satan asks, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
Two things come to heart and mind here...in a strange way they oppose each other, I think you will understand. How incredible is it that out of every human on the planet to be singled out by your creator! In a million years could you and I live in a manner that would warrant our creator, our heavenly Father to say, "have you considered my servant Mark." How cool would it be to so love God that HE would single you out. I think of Mary in John 12:3ff. Jesus singled her out and told Judas to leave her alone.
Jn 12:3-8 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
Mt 26:12-13 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
You and I will never be included in the scriptures, but we can love God with the same devotion, passion and intimacy that we witness in Job and in Mary. You and I are not second rate step children...we are HIS heirs and joint heirs with Jesus. If we walk in the Spirit and ask and seek to be filled with the Spirit we are filled with hope "because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Rom 5:5)."
Above I mentioned two things that somewhat oppose each other...the first was to live in a manner that demonstrates a whole hearted devotion, passion, love...that demonstrates an intimate relationship with Jesus. THE SECOND and opposing thought is I'm not sure that I want HIM to point me out to Satan! I'm not real excited about the thought of God saying to Satan..."have you considered my servant Mark." I'm just being transparent with you all. Remember how it went for Peter? Jesus tells Peter in Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat"
I don't know about you but if that is me...I am on my face crying out tell him no Jesus, please tell him NO! Then I look up and see my Savior's face, I see the nail prints, I see HIS side...I close my eyes and cling to HIM and to HIS cross and say quietly and peacefully...not my will but thine be done!
You have to be amazed at Job's response to losing everything, everything, including his children and in Job 1:20-22 we witness something amazing..."Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
Becoming a child of God does not exempt us from pain, adversity and suffering in this world...to the contrary it guarantees it! What does Jesus teach us in John 16:33? “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” HE does not say you might have trouble or you could have trouble..."you have tribulation."
We love to talk about being heirs of God and joint heirs of Jesus, but we often leave the rest of the verse off...DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT IT SAYS? IT MIGHT surprise you...."and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. What in the world do we do with 2 Tim 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Jer 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Father in heaven,
Enable me, enable us by YOUR precious Holy Spirit to seek YOU with ALL OUR HEART! Please work this in us for YOUR glory and our JOY in YOU.
love,
m