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The
highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity,
choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over
popularity.
Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
-
Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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LESSONS OF JOB
(Part 34)
LOOKING UP TO THE HEAVENS
December 9,
2009
Look up to the sky on a clear night and what do you see? No, let me
restate that question. What don’t you see? What you do not see are the
billions and billions of stars, planets, and other celestial bodies. It
is an awesome universe out there! Evolutionists says the ordered
universe emerged out of the big bang and happened just by chance. No
way! The expanse, orderliness, balance, grandeur and mystery of the
universe can only be the work of a supernatural Being. Looking up to the
sky and pondering the universe should point us to the Creator. “Life
up your eyes on high and see who has created these” (Is 40:26a).
Further, with our most powerful telescopes, how many stars have we
found, counted and named? A minutely small number compared to what is
out there. But in the case of the Creator, “He leads out their army
and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the
strength of his power not one of them is missing!” (Is 40:26b).
Such is our awesome God. He is the Almighty! “The Lord is the eternal
God, creator of the ends of the earth.” (Is 40:28b).
A starting point in our proper relationship with God is beginning to
understand who He is. He is other-worldly, He is eternal, He transcends
time and space, He is all-powerful, He is unlike our idols and other
gods. “To whom can you liken me as an equal? says the Holy One.” (Is
40:25). As such, our proper posture is reverential fear and humility.
At the same time, and this is the really amazing reality, this awesome
Creator-God is concerned about us, even though we are as nothing before
the vast majesty of the universe. Rather than giving in to despair and
hopelessness in our affliction in the world, saying “My way is hidden
from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God” (Is 40:27b), we
need to see the reality of how God acts in our lives. “He gives
strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound.” (Is
40:29).
Who indeed is our God? Do you realize what He does for you?
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God is
“merciful and gracious” (Ps 103:8).
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God is
just and righteous. “The Lord does righteous deeds, brings justice
to all the oppressed.” (Ps 103:6).
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God
“pardons all your sins, heals all your ills” (Ps 103:3).
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God
“delivers your life from the pit” (Ps 103:4a).
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God
“surrounds you with love and compassion” (Ps 103:4b).
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God
“fills your days with good things” (Ps 103:5a).
When
we face life’s challenges, when we suffer and are afflicted, we must
always remember the great Creator-God who cares for us. We must
constantly count our blessings, big and small. We must never “forget
all the gifts of God” (Ps 103:2b).
Further, this Creator-God has a face. It is the face of Jesus. God came
down from His lofty throne and dwelt among us. God became one of us. In
fact, God suffered and died for us. God knows what our suffering is
like.
In identifying with us, in showing us our proper posture, Jesus was
“meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29b). In helping us in our
affliction, Jesus invites us: “Come to me, all you who labor and are
burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28). In fact, Jesus, as he
has already done with the cross, bears the yoke with us and for us, as
we walk in his ways and obey his commands. “Take my yoke upon you ....
and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden light.” (Mt 11:29-30).
As we look up to the heavens, as we learn from Jesus, we are continually
challenged with the question: “Do you not know or have you not
heard?” (Is 40:28a).
Job suffered greatly and he could not understand why. God did not
explain but simply pointed to His great majesty. At this Job replied:
“I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too
wonderful for me, which I cannot know.” (Job 42:3). We will never
fully know the extent and grandeur of the universe. We will never fully
understand the mystery of God’s love, by which He sent Jesus to suffer
and die for us. We will never have the full answer to why we, especially
the blameless and upright, suffer in the world, while the wicked seem to
prosper.
But that is how it should be, for we are not God. But when we simply
accept Jesus and the salvation that he brings, that should be enough.
“I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you.”
(Job 42:5). Our eyes will be opened, as we behold the awesome
Creator-God who also is the suffering servant.
“Bless
the Lord, my soul;
all my being, bless his holy name!”
(Ps 103:1)
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