There once was a man, who was very wealthy. He was a very respected member of the community. People would come to him for advice, and to hear him speak. He had several children, and they were "rich man's kids", who were lovingly indulged by their generous father. The children didn't take life very seriously, and they enjoyed themselves on Dad's money.
The father was not only known for his business knowledge, but he also happened to be learned in the things of God, and he was considered a teacher of these things. He was a good man.
In the course of his life, he began to experience reversals. His wealth began to suffer losses. His beloved children were lost in a catastrophe. He was unable to understand what was happening to his once charmed life. As he was trying to recover from these terrible losses, he began to experience painful lesions to his body, that were not only agony for him, but made him repellant to those around him.
In general, people in his community no longer sought him out. They didn't know what to say to him. They were uncomfortable in his presence. Even his lovely and charming wife could no longer deal with these unexplainable tragedies, and lost patience with him. No doubt, she was in pain of her own.
The man became depressed and bitter. He looked back on his respected position in the community, now lost, and grew angrier at the unfairness of life. His constant question was "Why has this happened to me?" There was no answer for him. Ultimately, he began to hate his own life, and wished he had never been born. There was no "light at the end of the tunnel" that he could see.
Then his best friends decided it was time to pay the man a visit. At first, they sat silently with him, overwhelmed by the condition they had found this formerly esteemed man to be in. What could they say to him? How could they help him?
Like many who had faith and had been taught religious doctrines, they believed that those who loved the LORD are blessed by Him, and live a life of blessing. This man had been a perfect example of those who were so blessed. So what happened? How do they explain this to themselves? Are their beliefs wrong? No! God blesses those who love Him, and serve Him. This man's circumstances just didn't fit in with their theology.
So the problem must lie with the man. The friends began to question him. What had he done wrong? The man said that he had examined himself, and that he found nothing that he had done wrong. The friends began to argue with him - there must be something that had brought this state of events upon his life. "No, nothing!", the man angrily proclaimed.
This discussion went on for some time. As the man's skin lesions became infected, and filled with pus, he would lance them to relieve the pain and swelling. His eyes downward as he tended to his flesh, the debate swirling around him. The man was feeling angrier and even more resentful as these so-called friends continued to try to "help" him understand what had happened. They were trying to reason this thing out. There had to be an answer for their friend.
And then something miraculous happened to the man. The LORD began to talk to him. The LORD began to minister to him. How did the LORD minister? Again, not according to the expectations one might have, or has learned.
The LORD began to minister to this man, whose name was Job, out of His greatness. He gave Job example upon example of His unlimited, unbound greatness. Job began to raise his eyes and look upon the greatness he was being shown: greatness over creation, greatness over all creatures, greatness that man could never hope to overcome with their will, or their thoughts, or their plans. The LORD showed Job mysteries about creation, that no man had known before him (see previous blog entry "Science").
As his eyes beheld the greatness of the LORD, his body and his circumstances were healed and restored. His spiritual anointing was lifted to new levels of intercession.
"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain."
Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God?"
"And the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods."
"Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty..."
Psalms 48:1, 77:13, 95:3, 104:1
"Ah, LORD God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You."
Jer. 32:17
The scriptures speak beautifully and unceasingly of the greatness of our Father for a reason. Our healing, deliverance and restoration are in the greatness of our God. When our eyes are drawn to things other than His greatness, to our own flesh, to our own honor and prestige, to our own abilities and giftings, we lose something in our lives. When our eyes are fixed upon our circumstances, we make them larger than the greatness of God. And the enemy of our soul never tires of bringing circumstances our way in order to draw our eyes away from our Father's greatness.
Let us keep our eyes on His greatness.
Our Father is Great!
"How Great is Our God"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZFN8TBfgNU
"The Great I AM"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Yh4exnBU0
No comments:
Post a Comment