Dearly Beloved, WHO OR WHAT IS YOUR SECURITY? (CAN YOU DO LIKE JOB DID? [Series 5]) “If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,' if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high” (Job 31:24-28, NIV). Job continued his defense by exonerating himself from putting his trust in material possessions or any form of idolatry (verses 24-28). The Bible has earlier described him as “the richest man in the East” (Job 1:3, TEV) because of his material possessions. Also as somebody who lived supposedly in the east of the Palestine when and where the worship of Yahweh was not common, he ought to have been vulnerable to the worship of all kinds of idols and gods that the people of his time were known for. However, he could boast that he neither put his trust in his material possessions nor worship any other thing apart from the true God. No wonder, God could boast of him when Satan came to Him (Job 1:8; 2:3). This cannot be said of many people today who have placed their trust in worldly things like material possessions, education, influence of other notable people and so on. The Bible says, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives” (Jeremiah 17:5-6, NIV). What of people that abandon God their Creator and continue to worship created beings? Paul has this to say about them, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen” (Romans 1:21-25, NIV). Such people abound today. Who or what is your security? In who or what do you put your trust? Is it in your material possessions, education, occupation, time, sports, pleasure, reputation, position, your children, your spouse, another person of note, a thing or even YOU? Let your security and trust be only in God the Creator of heavens and earth. In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). _________________________ Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). +234 805 515 9591 http://www.afolabayo.org/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21, NIV). _________________________________________________ FindLaw - Free Case Law, Jobs, Library, Community http://www.FindLaw.com Get your FREE @JUSTICE.COM email! http://mail.Justice.com