Center Stage In The Drama Of Cosmic Proportions

Every human being is of great significance to God, but those whom God has drawn to believe in Him are at the center stage in a drama of cosmic proportions. The life of Job mentioned in the Bible is a fascinating book and often one that I run away from reading, but some of the most precious philosophies, answers to tough questions, as well as unanswered questions linger in those chapters.

Job was a God-fearing man and yet something in him suspected that faith in God did not necessarily translate into peace and safety. We read in the scriptures that after every feasting party his children had, Job goes out to sacrifice before the Lord just in case somebody in his family had committed a sin. Of course, Job had no inkling of the discussion going on in heaven between God and Satan. It was a debate over whether the foundation of God’s kingdom was based on genuine love or power. And astonishingly, God was placing the perception of his own integrity as well as the reputation of his whole kingdom on the genuineness of Job’s heart. (See Job 1:6–12; 2:1–10.).  We also read that  Job was a man of integrity and when disaster strikes he exclaims "What I dreaded has happened to me". Job endured the accusations of his friends as he sat in ashes and sackcloth mourning for his misfortunes, the wind had taken away his family, his wealth carried away by a warring party and a fire, everything is lost in the blink of an eye, and yet in all this heaven remained silent. God does not once reveal that Satan had questioned the motives of Job's heart.

Friends, those who are called according to His righteousness are in the midst of a cosmic battle, turmoil, tests, temptations, heart wrenching events, wars, injustice, intrigues of men and the raging kingdom of evil set against his children. Yet!  we have this amazing promise in all things we will prevail, in all things God will turn it for our good and in all things the purposes of God and His kingdom will advance. It was this kind of hope that Job clung onto and yet there were nagging questions and to summarize them into one it was "Why me?"

In the final chapters of the book of Job, God comes with the answers and as I read it, I don't see any direct answers to any of Job's questions, instead what I do find is the Lord asking more questions. The Lord talks about His marvelous creation, His ways and things like ..."where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?", the stars that I threw in the heavens, the turning of seasons, the mountain goats that give birth, young lions on the hunt, the flight of the eagle, strength of the ox,  stride of the horse, the leviathan frolicking in the oceans, and the patterns of the wind. And yet somehow Job is satisfied that His creator has heard, that His creator has answered and realizes that he is in the will and purposes of God. He knows that God is proud of him and that his life was used to uphold the very thing God was willing to stake. My friend and pastor at New life church Glenn Packiam uses Job as his central example in his book "Secondhand Jesus" quoting from the book of Job, he remarks one needs to trade rumors of God and experience Him firsthand. When God answers Job, exclaims "I have not heard rumors but a first hand account from my creator" (paraphrase mine). God is Love and in His love and  pursuing we stand redeemed; we stand secure.

Blessings & Shalom

Sam Kurien