Close Cousins

Job 1:21 - …and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

After Job got the last report on the death of his family (and with more turmoil to come), he fell to his face, worshipped the Lord, and uttered these words. And the scripture tells us that even in the face of this tragedy, he did not sin in his heart.

We learn from this that surrender is a close cousin to faith and trust. Job had faith and trust in the Lord. We looked at that yesterday. But here at the very beginning of his trial it’s clear that Job had already surrendered his life to God. When I say surrender, I mean that he was symbolically holding his family and possessions, and even his own life, with open hands to God. The posture of Job’s heart was that all he had belonged to the Lord; nothing was intrinsically his. So when the Lord then decided to take away what had been given, Job did not count it as unfair. It was painful but Job had a perspective that helped him process this painful reality. He did not charge God with wrong doing.

Oh surrender! That can be a tough one for me. I have the type of personality that really likes the idea of control…often an illusion, I must admit. But Job understood the value of surrender. It can be argued that surrender is foundational to trust. We accept Jesus Christ as our Savior – surrendering our life to Him, then we grow in trust as we deepen in relationship with Him and see Him fulfill His word. And in this process our faith becomes more robust.

Before Paul wrote these words, Job lived them:

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.    Romans 12:1(AMP)

Surrender. Yes, surrender.