Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:18:00 -0500
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (Mar. 15); BP: Job 1; RBTTY: Mk. 14:27-53; Dt. 26-27
March 15 “Blessed Be the Name of the Lord”
“Then Job arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped and said, ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb and naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord’.”
Job 1:20-21
We can’t say this unless we’re abiding in Him, resting in His Promises and walking in His Spirit.
“God is good.”
Those words, penned by the Psalmist Asaph (Ps. 73:1) right before listing the basis of his perplexity and virtual despair (vv.2-16), must never be far from our lips if we’re to honestly quote Job’s words when everything’s falling apart. Otherwise, we’ll end up more like Job’s wife, who encouraged him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9b).
So much for encouragement from loved ones and friends, huh?
Job’s story, taken from the oldest book in the Bible, is in many ways “Everyman’s Story.” Although, thankfully, the majority of us will never go through the horrible things he did (1:1-19), we still have our own “fiery trials” to endure—especially if we’re a child of the King and a “Pilgrim of the Way.”
To try and understand Job’s story, we must come to it by faith, not reason—for trying to decipher what seems to be little more than some type of celestial chess game between God and satan will drive us mad otherwise.
One thing that’s clear from the beginning until the end is that Job was a man of faith, “perfect (Heb. ‘tam’—‘pious, gentle, undefiled, complete, etc.’) and upright (Heb. ‘yashar’—‘straight, equitable, etc.’) who feared God and avoided evil” (1:8). In reality, that’s the same description give of Noah, who “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8-9). And, it must also be the Lord’s description of us if we’re to say “Blessed be the Lord” when our world’s crashing in upon us.
We know we all suffer—either from our sins, others’ sins or Adam’s sin. Yet, there are times when, like Job, the “Morton’s Salt Syndrome” (“When it rains, it pours”) descends upon us, leaving us reeling at “Wits’ End Corner” (Ps. 107:26-27). It’s at that point we must “cry out unto the Lord” (Ps. 107:28a) and know that He hears us and will bring us through (Ps. 107:28b-30).
Let’s face it:
It’s not easy to verbalize Job’s words when our house has just burned down. . .or the doctor’s said we’ve got six months to live. . .or a rebellious child has run away (once again). . .or others are trying to use us as a punching bag or doormat.
But, by faith, we, like Job, can still say “Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust Him. . .” (Job 13:15a) and “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10b; I Pet. 1:6-7). May the Spirit help us today to cry “Blessed be the Name of the Lord” when it’d be easier to cry or quit—for our world is watching and listening.
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