What's In It For Me?

The following thoughts are not mine, but do express much of where I am at and have been.

The perennial question of the "separationist" is this - "Why do the righteous suffer?" Many have supposed that the book of Job seeks to answer that question. However, that is not the question that is posed by Job's story. The question asked in that extraordinary tale is not "Why do the righteous suffer?" but "Why do the righteous serve God?"

What was Satan, the father of the independent separated self's cynical answer to that question? - "Does Job fear God for nothing?" [Job 1:10] "He fears you," argued Satan "because you bless him." In other words, he serves you because there is something in it for Job. Remove the blessing and Job will curse you and embrace the self-life. What follows is forty-two agonizing chapters in which he sees the loss of all things. Moreover, Job has to endure the maddening self-righteousness of his "comforters" which finally incites him to demand an audience with God to question His integrity in His dealing with him. The story finally culminates in his coming to union "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you and therefore I despise myself." [Job 42:5-6]

Herein lies the key to God's dealings with us. We must draw back from our tendency to see evil and the devil's purposes advancing against us. The Devil is God's devil; he can only accomplish God's purposes [Gen 50:24]. Seeing God in our circumstances requires an ability to see through our circumstances. We must become fixed in the conviction that all things work together for good for those who love God" [Roms 8:28] and see that the apparently negative "all-things" are the tools of the divine trade useful for conforming us into His image and likeness" [Roms 8:29]

These are my thoughts/questions?


It's this very issue the author above is sharing that I have, and continue to find myself in over, and over again. Meaning, has it thus far been most advantageous as far as coming to know Him beyond the lies of the lost as well as what Christians have told me regarding who my heavenly Father is~YES!
But, my life is in the moment a never touching bottom, nor do I for see any ability to touch bottom.

This ties in with what I said in a previous post, I have no desire to listen to anyone with their (my) religious don't worry, be happy platitudes, where they have Never had to trust Him alone.

I could be very wrong on this, but being set free from my self-(reliance)-righteousness as well as those around me as I continue to be put on the grist mill is much in line with what our brother Job must have experienced?

Did Job actually think (very possibly totally unknown to him) there was in fact, something in it for him or me, or any of us who are being trashed in life's unfoldings?

Being exposed, naked, is not my idea of feelings of great exile ration, but if I am to know Him, then let the sharp knife do its work, cause sometimes, ugly is right to the bone.

Rich