I love how Job lays waste to his friends in chapter 13. It's not a good attitude for me to take, perhaps, but he so put those foolish friends of his in their place. They deserved to be scolded after their stupid advice.
He basically says, "If only you would shut up!"
And, "For you, that would be wisdom."
That's kind of funny.
He goes on to ask his so-called friends, "Will you argue the case for God?" And then he brings in a zinger: "Would it turn out well if He examined you? Could you deceive Him as you might deceive men?"
The answer is obviously "No." When God examines us, we cannot hide any fault or so-called "secret" sin. He sees it all. It would be ridiculous to even try. I hope (and pray for my prayers, like the great Stavesacre song, "Gold and Silver") that I will always be honest with God in my prayers. Prayer is a wonderful, spiritual, and mysteriously mystical action that puts our presence, in a sense, in God's very presence. This belief, faith, and knowledge would (hopefully) motivate us to pour out our hearts before God -- the hopes, dreams, desires; as well as the disappointments, devastationis, and sins. Allowing God to examine us is a come-clean process that is so good for us. Surely we can trust Him with our secrets and sins.
One other thing that inspires the heck out of me and makes me want to worship and cry and shout is when Job says, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him..." Man, that is the ticket right there! Worshiping and loving God in spite of or regardless of what He does or does not do for us.
While I may be selfish and materialistic, I know that God is not a giant "gumball machine in the sky," waiting to grant me my every wish if I only ask Him right. God is our Lord; our Bossman; our Leader; our Father; our God (duh)! He has the authority and power to do what He wants. We are in submission to Him. Even when we don't submit to Him, we are still inferior to Him in every way. (Unlike Job's "friends," who seemed to act like they were superior to their troubled friend.)
It looks like I will finish an issue of Heaven's Metal Fanzine today. There is some good stuff in this one (interviews with Whitecross, Ulf Christiansson, Christian Rivel, Century Sleeper, Pale Horse, and the longest "So & So Says" interview to this date, with Uli Jon Roth).
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at April 7, 2005 09:11 AMMore good words !! Have you thought about keeping all these blog inputs of yours and putting some of them together in a daily devotional booklet?
Posted by: solomon at April 8, 2005 08:32 AMThe next issue of Heaven's Metal fanzine looks interesting.....look foward to the interviews especially with Whitecross, and Century Sleeper - James Allin from Visionaire who particpates on this with Ian Arkley of Seventh Angel hope to have it out sometime mid year i think... I'm in occasional email contact with James...He's working on a new Visionaire cd too which probably won't come out til next year.
Keep up the good work with the fanzine! I love it!