Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Not About Me

Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Job 38:2 (NASB) This verse slapped me in the face yesterday morning. These are God's first words to Job. Job has been afflicted horribly, not knowing why. Job has been attacked by His friends who claim that he must have done something horrible that he's not confessing while Job himself clings to the belief that he is blameless. And then God speaks and these are the first words out of His mouth! Ouch! A couple of weeks ago we had some financial issues, issues caused by things totally out of our control. We had done everything right, and still this happened. There were several times through the mess when my thoughts were pretty irritable. "We've been tithing and giving faithfully! We're trying to be obedient to You! Why aren't You working this out? We haven't done anything to deserve this! How can we be faithful with our finances when things totally out of our control mess us up like this?" Like Job, I asserted the fact that I'd been obedient, and I wanted to know why these things were happening anyway. God is reminding me that it's about so much more than what I know. He revealed to us the whole picture of Job's ordeal, but He never revealed it to Job. In the same way, He doesn't reveal to us why He allows certain things to happen in our lives. He just uses them to grow our trust in Him and to give us a chance to be faithful through those events. I am challenged to see growth in myself through every new trial He brings my way. After all, it's not at all about me - it's all about His glory. And that's the goal.

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