Examen Nation: Home Edition

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:8, KJV)

In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam reminded us of God's response to the plight of Job. Job and his friends spent much time in reflection and discussion of Job's life after Satan received permission to afflict him. The friends insisted that Job must have sinned in order to have suffered such extreme calamity, while Job insisted that he had done nothing to deserve the losses he'd suffered.

Enter God.

In Job chapters 38 through 41, God speaks to his servant Job. But God's response did not address Job's sufferings. And as Pastor Sam pointed out, Job was never even told about the dialogue between God and Satan that brought about the sufferings he'd gone through. Instead, God called Job to consider the greatness, majesty, and power of God. Our pastor reminded us that we too, like Job, are called to focus on the goodness and greatness of God.

There are some Christians who daily engage in the discipline of examen, and it is a useful discipline for us to adopt if we aren't already involved in this practice. In examen, one takes time to reflect on the day's experiences. But the focus is not merely on the ups and downs of the day. The focus is on: a) recognizing the presence of God in our lives throughout the day, and b) being thankful for who God is and what He does, even as we seek His forgiveness and grace to help us look more like Him every day.

Are you suffering? Look to the Lord. Today let us choose to turn our eyes away from our challenges, and instead turn our attention to our God, the One who remains in complete control.

Lord God, we praise You for Your sovereignty!
You are great and mighty!
There is none on earth like You.

You see and know all things;
You are fully aware of our sufferings,
And You are touched with the pains we go through.

We stand, we kneel, we worship, we praise
on beds of affliction, or in church with hands raised;
We engage in what You have commanded us to do.

Though life is bitter, You, Lord, are sweet.
Though we want to run, we rest at Your feet
and rejoice
at the sound of Your voice:
"Behold, I make all things new..."

(G.A.R.)