“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants…” Luke 17:10 “Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?” Job 22:2-3 “We have not, as his servants, profited or benefited God at all.” J.F.B. Elihu repeats the same: “If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? If you are righteous, what do you give to him? Or what does he receive from your hand?” Job 35:6-7 What’s the point? Have you ever struggled with your identity? Do you see that identity as connected intimately to your performance record? I dare say, many do —…
Tag: <span>Job</span>
The subject of Biblical testing at the initiation of God is one of fleeting understanding. In fact, this author wrote a short commentary on “Job” a few years ago, only to wander, today, if there was any accuracy in the insight. I am thinking of writing a revision. I had discussed “Sense evaluation” as a target of God’s testing, which I still hold to be true. God’s servant in Isaiah 11: 3, judged not “after the sight of his eyes, neither reproved after the hearing of his ears.” — a prophetic passage pointing to Christ. The reference refers to temporal thinking which, again, God targets for exposure and ultimate removal. God seeks to orient us to the eternal. Our degree of Spiritual content through the intake of God’s Word reveals itself in the trial. In his booklet, “When Testings Come,” Dr. Carl H. Stevens writes that in tests. “God watches six…
It lurks in the recesses of a man’s heart and will surely appear when provoked by circumstance, and Job’s stuffing came out a display of abject transparency. We can say that Job’s transparency painted him badly; three acquaintances felt this, but his plight had baffled his sense of justice. “Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in other social contexts, implies openness, communication, accountability. Transparency is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed. It has been defined simply as “the perceived quality of intentionally shared information from a sender”.[1] “The thing about transparency is that it shows. Period. When you’re open and direct, it shows; when you’re obtuse or avoidant, it also shows.”Beth Levine writes at http://www.smartmouthcommunications.com/the-thing-about-transparency/ I say, when our junk makes it’s appearance we can’t just display it, but we must be honest about it, but……