Kim Gentes

Have you ever found yourself "holding back" in your devotions of praise or worship? Do you see tendencies to glorify God just at times when you have lots to be thankful for? Many of us are susceptible to that kind of thinking and action. While I was reading the account of Job and his incredible day in which the whole world is changed for him, I was convicted deeply at his response. Let’s read that section of scripture:

One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Job 1:13-22

Let's face it- most of us will never have to endure what Job faced. Still, the same God that encouraged and strengthened Job, and made his heart faithful, is now our Comforter. In the day of our calamity will we also do as Job when "he fell to the ground in worship”? In the hour of our grief, can we see the freedom of God-centeredness in surrender that Job showed when he said to the Lord "may the name of the LORD be praised”?

It wasn't about ignoring the pain or removing oneself from the grieving process. It was about a God who is ultimately worthy of worship and praise, regardless of the circumstances of life. Understanding that, and living in that truth, paved the way for Job to have Christlikeness in his thoughts (or as Paul says in 1 Cor. 2:16, “the mind of Christ”), and makes a way for us to follow the example of Job -

"In all this, Job did not sin
by charging God with wrongdoing.”

Job 1:22

Incredible!

The testimony written of Job shows a kind of wisdom that is not common. His response to the four tragedies that crash down upon him is reflected in both what he does, and what he does not do. What he does is simply to turn the flood of personal tragedy into a fountain of public praise. He lifts up the Unchangeable God, as the changeable world crashes in around him. But the record of scripture does not stop there. It clarifies for us that he also does not do something that is often our common response- to blame God. To be sure, we all will come to the place where we must reconcile that an all-knowing God has indeed foreseen and allowed for calamity to come our way. Job clearly identifies this when he says “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away”.

Job recognizes that God has indeed been aware, and perhaps even involved in the events of pain that have just occurred. Yet, he understands that each blessing (that has now fallen to tragedy) was given originally by God (“The LORD gave”). And it is this understanding that has him able to complete the phrase “and the LORD has taken away”.

It is not a trite declaration, and Job is not ringing off a quick “formula” that might convince God to restore Job’s fortunes. Job was able to do this because he recited what he had known from the beginning- that it all belongs to God. And as He chooses to give or take it away, it still remains wholly under God’s ownership. It is from that concise and pure relationship with God (and a clear understanding of His character- how He acts in relationships) that Job declares the truth and then maintains that clarity in his actions in that he “did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing”.

Even more amazing is that the troubles, and Job’s faithfulness, continue as the book moves on. Chapter two explains the intense physical affliction that came upon Job. Observing all of this, his wife articulates the desperation and frustration that often overtakes us- “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Sitting in our lives, it can be easy to criticize the words of Job’s wife. Yet, in truth, we often find ourselves in agreement with her sentiments. The scenarios may be different in details, but the pathway is all too familiar. Life comes at us. We bear down and work through the difficulty. Our spouses encourage us and we move forward. Then, as things were getting better, our jobs become uncertain as company layoffs are looming at work. Stress is higher each day at the workplace. During this same time, finances are squeezed. Children are becoming adolescents and costs around the home are high. Our elderly parents are in need, and we reach out to help. The close friends we once had have moved on to other cities, chasing the dreams of their lives. Then it happens. “It” could be any number of things. The company we have worked at loyally for so long has to trim costs and we are laid off. Or maybe our youngest child walks away from God and heads into a life a painful rebellion. Or perhaps the words “malignant cancer” comes crashing down on our world.

As our lives unravel into the reality that our hope and plans may never be realized, we sink to a flood of emotions. In those emotions and real life, the certainty we once had about our lives and futures begin to crumble. Loosing that certainty, and our sense of control over our lives, the questions begin to rain down. What is going on? How could this happen? What will we do? Where is God? This is the place we find Job and wife at. She has come to the end. And in her pain, she has concluded that God is to blame. The only thing left is to “curse God and die”.

But Job remains centered in the reality of God’s control over all things.

He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman.
Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
Job 2:10

This statement is an echo of his previous declaration in chapter one, where he said, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”

When our lives are going well, it can be easy to ring out “the name of the LORD be praised”. Yet true character is not revealed by our answers in times of preparation. No, true character comes out in the hour of surprise- at the unexpected time when we are tested. Occasionally, we try to lean on the excuse that times of extreme stress cause us to act differently than in normal times. But the truth is that our strength to handle conflict and tension comes out of the well of our character and how deeply we are rooted in the peace of a relationship with our Creator. As we settle into a living knowledge and a present conversation with God, we stop filtering our external talk and begin to live out of the overflow of our relationship with Him. “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

May your heart become captured again with the love of God, and flourish into a personal conversation where you hear Him and He hears you. And as your heart become filled with Him, out of that well of life, you will declare, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”

Selah!

Kim Anthony Gentes

The scripture references above are Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2007 by Kim Anthony Gentes. Used by permission.

Worship Beyond Circumstances (ThinkJump Episode 13 by Kim Gentes)

Most days we live in our comfort. We live in the place that keeps us feeling safe. Questions arise when we are in a place of risk or fear. We are told it's almost "natural" to be afraid when we are placed in weakened situations, locations or relationships. That place of weakness, where we feel the impact of personal pain against our "comfort" world.. We almost strive to run from it.

But the life we have here on earth is not to be spent running from pain. Jesus said of the person seeking Kingdom life, that "he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34) . He even said that anyone who does not do that cannot be a disciple of Jesus (Luke 14:27) . Pain, struggle, bearing the suffering assigned to you, and self denial are part of not only the necessary walk for Christ followers, it is the prescribed path for His disciples.

This isn't the kind of thing where we just wait for bad stuff to happen and then call it, our "cross" to bear. The entire language of Jesus statement is a call to personal ownership in suffering. Suffering is a call, not a repercussion, of your Christian walk. Every portion of the Mark 8 quote is an invocation for the hearer to take action-

• "he must" - being a disciple means you do not have a choice. You must consider, accept, prepare, plan, receive and walk into the suffering Christ calls you to. No man can call you to suffer for Christ, just as no man could assign Jesus his duties on the cross of Calvary. Only God himself can call you towards what He knows to be both painful and perfect for your life and His glory.
• "deny himself" - in taking up Christ's sufferings, you can only do so when you make room out of your own "self" life. To make room for transformation, or even simple obedience to Him, there are things that must be set aside. Your comfort, your wishes, your preferences, your time, your money, your goals, your life. Anything that begins with "your" or "my" must be on the table when we think of denial. If we look at our lives and find something we could not believe we have strength to let go of- those things look like a shining targets to a jealous God. He loves you passionately.
• "take up his cross" - removing things that are "ours" is not the only active movement to be made in our journey. We must move into the sufferings assigned for us. What has Jesus himself ordained for your discipleship, your life. Advance towards them, don't wait for them to drop on you. "Take up" your cross, don't wait for it to crash down on you.
• "follow me" - the journey of self-denial and taking up the cross assigned to us is only possible as we "fix our eyes on Jesus". The writer of Hebrews correctly understood the absolute dependence on having a vision of Christ. The hope and real assurance of following a real God, Jesus, not an arbitrary cosmic master. He understood that following Jesus had to do with both being set on him as our ultimate goal and enduring through the cross assigned to each of us on the journey there.

Hebrews 12 is a clear synopsis for the tension that holds together a life of joy and suffering in the same person following a faithful God:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

As a follower, Mark 8:34 is one of the most difficult and hard sayings for me to live. Living is not just understanding and accepting and waiting. Living is pursuing and engaging. We don't "create" our cross or "make" trouble, but we are called to pursue the cross Christ assigns to us.

One of my favorite new songs is called "Sweetly Broken" by Jeremy Riddle. When I get a chance, I will post a link to a audio sample of the song. It speaks well of this paradox of joy and pain at the cross.

His life!
Kim