Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” —Job 1:8
Today, we meet Job’s God. That is the way it works: first, someone meets you and then they meet who you worship. It’s a humbling idea to wonder if Christ is really the first impression I give off to the people around me.
Beyond that, this is a window into what is really going on. The wager God and Satan make over Job’s faith set the stage; what Paul Harvey called “the rest of the story.” Keeping this scene in mind as we go forward will help us not get lost in the why of suffering. Instead, we will focus on our response to it. We will be empowered to do that today because we have the opportunity to consider what we are made of.
How God views us is just as important as how we view ourselves. This statement by God in our verse defines who we are as His children. In reading these words, I can hear Him whisper:
Have you considered the fact that there is no one like you on Earth? Do you know just how special I think you are? I see you as I see my Son – blameless, upright, my own Beloved! I rejoice when you put me first and I tell everyone in the Heavenly Realms about you!
Does that make you step back? God speaks about me (and you) in the Heavenly realms? He calls me (and you) out for a purpose, even allowing difficulties in my life because He has confidence in me (and you)? In the words of Ted Griffen,
He made you so you could share in His creation, could love and laugh and know Him.
The Creator of the Universe does in fact know me (and you). And He speaks well of us!
I thought if we spent time on that, we wouldn’t be such easy prey; we wouldn’t give in as quickly to fear and worry. I can assure you, Satan will do all in his power, just like he did with Job, to keep us from thinking about what God thinks about. Satan knows if we embraced God’s view of ourselves, we would cease to give him so much power over our lives. When we experience how much the Lord treasures us, we won’t need to give in to the booby-traps he lays for us in our minds and circumstances.
As we embark in this journey through Job, keep the end in mind. My dear friend Gindi emphasizes this on her blog:
The reason it is important to BEGIN with the fact that God tells us we are chosen is because it may be the most important title that you or I wear. Regardless of all of the other stuff going on around me, this fact is constant… if I know in the deepest part of my soul that the God that created the universe and imagined oceans and platypus and rainbows picked me, then I can weather the changing and unpredictable opinions surrounding me.
Now is the time to dwell on how much God loves you. When life comes crashing in, pull this verse out for priority meditation. Make God’s thoughts your thoughts and you will never be shaken for long.
What would change in your life if you really believed what God says about you?
Heavenly Father – I cannot begin to thank You for what You have done for me. I spend so much time trying to earn Your love, I forget I already have it beyond measure. Help me to spend a few moments today in the light of Your Presence, embracing as much as I can the love You have for me. Show me how to return those feelings, to honor You with my mind, body and spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.