March 13, 2021
I greet and bless everyone in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessed word that God has given for you today is from the book of Job 1:5, “For Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.”
From the above context we learn that Job was more concerned about his ten children. He wondered if they walked in the fear of God. For Job was from the land of Uz and he was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. People usually have a tendency to focus on outward things: knowledge, reputation, ministry, education, looks, wealth and contacts. Job had many of these things if not all of them. Perhaps he had many things that others would admire and want for themselves. Job was a famous man. He was the ‘greatest man in the east.’ His large family made a big statement especially the fact that he had seven sons. He had great influence among the people around him. He could easily become his own nation, because of all his possessions. In those days the list of animals was one of the easiest ways to characterize a person’s wealth. Many animals meant provision. And of course, he had a lot of servants to care for, such a great amount of livestock.
Many people would be very content with these things. But it wasn’t that way with Job. He also had a spiritual life that outshined others. Notice how spiritually sensitive he was. Every time his children would party, he would always be there to offer a sacrifice. “For Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed god in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.” How many fathers really ever get to think about the consequences of their children’s sins? They are often too busy counting their gains or mourning over their losses. Most people cannot think about success in any terms but by the outward signs of success. They do not recognize that true success comes from ‘inner’ success. We do not at all mean by this a spiritual inclination but a true heart response to God’s ways. When man’s inner life is driven by God and His purposes, then his whole life is lived out in accordance to God’s ways.
How is your focus about life ? Are you like Job or is your life all about amassing wealth, and filling your house with goods. You don’t seem to be content with what you are blessed with. Is your family as large as that of Job ? We do not know a lot of things on how he reached the zenith of life. He might have worked hard to become a wealthy person. If you want God to bless you like Job then you need to spend more time in prayer. We learn from his character that he prayed for his ten grown up children. He always feared that some harm might befall them so he prayed for them.“For Job thought that “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed god in their hearts.” Thus Job prayed continually for his children. He prayed for the forgiveness of their sins. He also prayed for his friends and therefore, God delivered him from his captivity.
God in the scripture says, “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” we need to present ourselves worthy of God. We need to persistently ask, “Am I a godly man at heart?” “Do I just serve God because of His good treatment towards me?” “Is my heart fully committed to the LORD?” though Job was a great man, and possessed immense wealth, we know that these possessions did not ‘make’ him. But his inner qualities distinguished him despite his great wealth. With such position, he could have chosen to do many wrong things as his friends intimated. He could have gone beyond the law and got away with it in the eyes of man. Yet, he constrained his behaviour because of his fear of the Lord. Job sets a great example for us as he breaks through the cheap materialistic view of the world and dares to live before God’s presence. His possessions did not make him great but his character, that is, his inward godly commitments that shaped his decisions. He did not strive to be wealthy but to be acceptable before God and live rightly before men and women. May God help you also to live like Job. God Bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank you for this blessed day. Lord teach us to pray for our children, and the forgiveness of their sins. Help us to follow the good principles of Job. Help us not to strive, to be wealthy, but to be acceptable before God and men. May our inner qualities distinguish our character. Teach us to adopt the good spiritual nature of God. Remind us that God searches our hearts and our minds. And therefore let us walk in the fear of God.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
