God's Wants and Our Needs

Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: Job 22:2 Can a mortal be of use to God?
Can even the wisest be of service to him?

Observation: Good question, even if it is asked by one of Job’s “friends” who turns out to be way off-base by the end of the story.

Application: Yesterday was Confirmation at the church where I serve as pastor. It’s also known as “Affirmation of Baptism.” Basically it’s a time when youth who have completed a three-year period of learning, serving, and fellowship experiences in the church go on to publicly declare their thanksgiving for all that God has done and continues to do in and through them. And so rather than declare how much more faithful they were going to be from this moment forward, the service essentially gives voice to the realization that we are now as dependent on God as ever.

With such an understanding it would be easy to develop a viewpoint similar to the one reflected in the rhetorical question posed by Job’s “friend” above. After all, the Christian faith understands God’s ways to be far superior to mortal ways and God’s foolishness to be wiser than human wisdom.

Yet in a consistently surprising move throughout history, God does find mortals to be of use and service. Although we get no special divine perks for making ourselves available in such a way, we are nevertheless of significant use to the Almighty. In fact, it is through humanity that the Lord seems to most consistently prefer to work!

God doesn’t really ‘need’ us but does ‘want’ us. By contrast, we don’t always ‘want’ God but we do ‘need’ God.

It’s a match made in heaven…on earth.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for wanting us and helping us to sense the need we have for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Job 22 and Mark 7-8)