The
bible introduces Job as a perfect man; one who feared God and turned away from
evil (Job 1:1). But Satan insinuated that Job’s piety was artificial. He
believed there was nothing genuine about Job’s piety. He insinuated that
because God had favoured Job and blessed him with so much wealth and therefore,
Job was grateful and worshipped Him. So, according to Satan, if God would take
away everything that Job had and made him to suffer like anybody else, then,
Job would be like the rest of mankind and denied God.
Was
Job's reverence and love for God directly related to his happiness and
well-being? Did he fear God only because he was much blessed by Him? Listen to
what Job said when everything was taken away from him: “Naked came I out of
my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD
hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). And the
scriptures said of him: “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God
foolishly” (Job 1:22). Satan was wrong; Job’s faith was genuine.
Satan’s
question deserves our attention: “Does Job fear God for nothing?” How
about you? Do you fear God for nothing? Will you serve God for nothing? Why do
you go to church on Sunday? Is it the result of mere gratitude because God has
blessed you richly? Is it because He has preserved you from a near death
incident, or restored you from an almost terminal illness? Is it something else
you wish to receive from God? Or is it merely because you want to go to heaven?
If
any one of those reasons is true, you serve God for some benefits. Then Satan
is right: you didn’t serve God for nothing. It’s the result of mere
selfishness.
True
faith is not mere gratitude; it is because God is worthy of our worship. It is
because we recognise who God is and He is worthy of our affections and
confidence, and not merely because He will bless us. This kind of faith will
survive through all external changes. It will flourish in poverty as well as
when surrounded by affluence. It will survive on a bed of pain as well as in vigorous
health.
We
always talk about our faith in God, but how true is our faith? You see, the
hard truth is that faith cannot be tested by prosperity. Anybody can praise the
Lord as long as everything is going the way they want. But what if suddenly the
life is filled with tragedy that we don’t deserve? Will we still maintain our
faith? Certainly, it is easy to thank God for blessings. Can we still thank God
in times of failures and illness?
Is
God wonderful enough that we will serve him just because of who He is and not
because of something we want to receive from Him? Can a man serve God for
nothing? The answer is YES! Job had shown us that he could. Moses gave up
more than he received in his lifetime: “By faith Moses, when he was come to
years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather
to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin
for a season” (Hebrews 11:24-25). Likewise, Paul and the other apostles
gave up more than they received (Mark 10:28; Philippians 3:4-8).
But
remember this: If a man will serve God for nothing, then it won’t be for
nothing. What do I mean? I mean: If we have genuine faith and serve God but
yet, remain poor and sick, God will bless us in the life to come (Hebrews 6:10).
Our faith won’t be for nothing. The reward of eternal life far exceeded any
reward found on this earth.
A
man ought not ever to serve God for what he can receive from God. A man ought
to serve God for the sake of God himself; for who He is and He is worthy of
worship.
Let
us serve God because we love God and we want to give our best to Him: “Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew
4:10).
Jimmy Lau
Psa
119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
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