Dear Congregation,
If you’re using Pastor M’Cheyne’s reading plan this year, then hopefully you’re on or around Job 13 today.
Job is defending himself against his
“friends’” accusations that all of this has come upon him because he’s covering
up some sins from which he’s refusing to repent—a good caution against jumping
to conclusions about what someone else’s secret sins are, since their guesses are exactly opposite God's own testimony about Job.
For Job’s part, he just wants these
so-called friends to stop talking (Job 13:5) and for God to speak up—whether God
wants to go first, or have Job go first, either is fine as long as God will
speak (Job 13:22).
What amazed me, while meditating upon
this today, was what it is that Job wants to hear about: his iniquities, and
transgressions and sins (Job 13:23)!
We know from chapter one that repentance
is very important to Job, and even forgiveness from sins that we have committed
only in our hearts (Job 1:5). Now in chapter thirteen, we see him recognizing that
bringing our sins to our attention is something that God does for those whom He
is not treating as an enemy (Job 13:24).
It made me wonder where I’m at in this
aspect of maturing in grace. Do I really want God to treat me as His
friend? Can I really sing and pray Psalm 19:12 and Psalm 139:23-24 with all my heart?
Having God treat us as His friends is
one of the great blessings of His gathering us to Himself in worship, and
bringing us under the knife of His Word.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12–13.
Thankfully, when we come, we are able to
endure this Scripture-surgery—even to embrace it—because we are coming through Christ, our
Mediator Who intercedes for us and our Sacrifice Whose blood speaks better than
Abel’s. Hallelujah!
May our Lord grant unto us hearts that desire to be treated as His friends, and may He treat us so!
Pastor
This is very helpful- thanks Pastor James!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement, brother! It is the Lord's own commendation upon His owning your ministry that members/associates of the congregation at Faith have been soft-hearted under the Word in pulpit and private. Do not grow weary or faint in that well-doing!
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