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And Worship

worship and

Dear Faith Family, 

Then Job arose and toe his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.  Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return.  The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.  

There are at least two places in the Bible when the word “worship” strikes me as out of place.  You know, like when you discover an automobile inside a 7-Eleven convience store.  Or like pasta sauce on waffles. 

One of those two places is found in Genesis 22 when Abraham said: “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”  The worship service that day included the sacrifice of Abraham’s son of promise, Isaac!   

The other place is found in Job 1.  I confess that it has not ceased to overwhelm me all week!  Job, in grief, fell on the ground and worshiped.  Now, it might be helpful to know that his worship service was in response to four messengers.  Do you want the bad news, the bad news, the bad news, or the bad news?!  Basically all that Job had left was four servants and they all had bad news. 

How could he possibly worship at such a time as that?!  Certainly we can carve out time “away” on Sundays to worship, apart from the “stuff” that engulfs us.  But, how can we worship in the thick of it?  On Monday when we have to face (insert employer / employee here)?  On Wednesday when the school calls?  On Thursday when the refridgerator dies?  You get the idea. 

Two thoughts.  One: Job knew His God.  Because He knew his God, Job trusted his God.  He knew that somehow God would sustain him.  Insert here in your mind a picture of a child leaping off of a wall into his father’s arms.  Nevermind that dad could drop him.  Nevermind that he could land on his head.  Nevermind that he might be out of his father’s reach.  The leaper knows his daddy and has no thought of not being caught in his father’s arms.  Do you know your Father? 

Two: Job knew His God.  Because He knew his God, Job understood that God owed him nothing.  Understanding his God led Job to complete surrender.  It’s there on ground, the posture of Job, that we see Job’s complete surrender.  He was overwhelmed, not with himself, but rather, with his God.  Do you know your Father? 

Blessed be the Name of the Lord, 
Pastor Karl