Passage Read: Job 5-8
Meditation Verses: 7:17-21
Thought
Why does God care about us? Why does God watch us and judge us? Why doesn't He just leave us be and let us go our way? Or just overlook anything we do wrong? Why does He make so much of us and test us? If we sin, what harm does it do to God? If we're just hurting ourselves, what does it matter? If we're just hurting others like us or the animals or the earth, what really does it matter? Why do You not ignore us and leave us to go our way, even if we create for a living hell for one another and all the rest of creation? Good questions! For one thing, God created us to rule over all creation, as caretakers in His place, not to do with everything as we wish, but to care for everything according to His desire and goodness. We weren't created to do whatever we wanted, and all things were not created for our pleasure, but for God's, all things including us. We are His, not our own, to do with as He pleases. For another, we were given responsibility to hold each other accountable, but we are so inconsistent in doing so, that He must step in to uphold true justice. He is just and is compelled to carry out justice for all His creation. And at least one more reason, He made us to rule, but we have so warped our understanding of truth and justice that He must step in to retrain us, correct us and teach us--and test us to see if we learned our lessons!
Application
God made me to enjoy and reflect His glory, and to serve His will in all I do. I'm not free to go off and do whatever I want, even if I harm no one and nothing else. God created me to enjoy Him, His goodness and holiness forever, but only one who is perfect can do so. I've fallen short, so I must forever be cut off from all that is good and right and holy, which leaves nothing but torment and pain and suffering. If God left me to myself, if He didn't discipline and retrain me, if He turned a blind eye to my sin or just forgot it, He would be unjust, unloving, and I would be emboldened to do worse rather than change my evil ways to learn His righteous ways. I would be all the more condemned to eternal torment. The evidence of His love for me is His willingness to correct and teach me, rebuke and instruct me, and to send His only Son, perfect in every way, to die in my place, to pay the penalty I owed. Only then could God forgive my sin and remain just. God isn't a heartless watcher and judge. He is doing everything to fit me for life forever in His perfect and holy presence. If I refuse His help, that's on me, not on Him. He isn't my enemy, but my dearest friend, who also happens to be my Creator and God.