a few thoughts

I started this notebook that I fill with thoughts on passages that I come across in the Bible and how they stick out to me.
I was glancing at Job the other day and here is what I got out of it;

"Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable." (Job 36:26)
As humans we so often think we understand God and can comprehend his actions. But we totally can't, and that just goes to show how awesome and amazing he is! Our human minds are so limited we can't begin to understand his glory and majesty until we see him face to face, and even then it'll be mind blowing.

"For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life? Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him? will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?" (Job 27:8-10)
I just read these verses and they really stuck out to me. It makes me realize how much we have when we put our trust in God. When we're living for His glory, and trusting in Him. I love the last verse; "will he take delight in the Almighty? will he call upon God at all times?" So much joy comes when you become a Christian. Hours of time just with God. And they truly are delightful. And yes, we know we can call upon God at all times. Which is just so amazing. I mean the mere fact that he knows you better than anyone, and that he takes that time to know you, to love you. oh, not to mention he does that to everyone else on the planet. What an awesome God we have!

Here is another passage that I wanted to share my thoughts on. It's not from Job, but it's one of my favorite parables that Jesus tells. It's the story of the Pharisee who goes to the temple to pray and the tax collector who goes also to pray. I'm not going to post the entire story, just the last 2 verses.

"But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather then the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:13.14)

It really stuck out to me that these two men are both approaching God in the same way, prayer, which I consider as an act of worship. They are both approaching him at the same time, same place, and yet they are both coming before Him in two totally different ways. The first is coming with his eyes totally focused on himself. While the other is coming in complete humbleness and submission, his eyes on God.
How are we coming before God when we come to worship? Whether it's on Sunday mornings at church, or maybe at youthgroup, or even in our daily devotions and prayer. Are our eyes like the Pharisees, focused only on us? Or maybe it's not even that they're on us, maybe it's something else that's in our life. Like financial troubles, shaky relationships, peer pressure, or our job.
Or, are we like the tax collector. Totally wrapped up in God, submitting to Him our faults and failures, falling before him saying "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" If our eyes are not on God and yet we're coming before Him for worship, we are not going to be able to give him the worship that he deserves.