Monday, February 22, 2021

I Know God Loves Me But Do I Believe It?

…“I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. … I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,  But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes” —Job 42:2, 5-6

I listened to a great message on Job yesterday.  One that caused me to think about my faith and my faithfulness. There is so much about God that I do not understand. So many aspects of God’s nature and His expectation of this child that is contrary to that nature of my flesh and its desires. It is a daily struggle isn’t it? We were watching a movie based upon the movie, Robinson Crusoe, that was made in 1954. In one sin, Friday asked Robinson Crusoe, “If God loves us why does he permit sin in the world?” First I thought, that line would never make it in a movie today! But then my mind went back to the sermon. I can reason Friday’s question – consider it in the context of what I have heard and what I had read myself in the Word. But, that is not really the issue. The issue is – do I trust God with a spiritual truth that I don’t fully understand – trust Him enough to walk in that truth and not manufacture some pseudo-truth and makes me more comfortable. Am I willing to obey even if I don’t have a full understanding.

Faith and obedience are matters of the heart not the mind. Job had challenged God as if to say “God do you know what you are doing?” “God are you really in control?” Or like the question of the Serpent in the Garden, “Did God really say?”  This is at the root of the reason for the great falling away from the Scripture in the Body of Christ today is that very thing. What is that, you ask? When we believe that we know what is right and God does not.  When we look to the world for answers with respect to morality and what is right and wrong. When we are selective about what we accept as truth from the Word of Truth and reject those things that we don’t understand of agree with.  We are very much like Job in that sense. This is not so much an accusation but a warning and an encouragement. This is not a new issue – it started in the Garden and has prevailed – even in the times when some of us thought were better days for the Body of Christ – particularly in the United States.  Since the Garden there has been leaven in the loaf. I will quote again from the Truth Project – Focus on The Family – “Do you believe that what you believe is really real?” Do you believe that the Bible is God’s revelation to man? The proof of our belief is in how we live and love not in what we say.

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” – James 1:21-22

Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

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