God knows me — He just wants me to agree with Him

While God tells us not to have personal bias toward others, it happens. My particular bias is toward those who are transparent, honest about their situation, emotions, desires, and opinions. They never leave me guessing about anything concerning them.

While God does not have to guess, it seems to me that He wants me to be transparent as well. As the psalmist declared, He knows anyway…

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. (Psalm 139:1–4)

However, the essence of confessing sin is being honest with God, telling Him what I have done and how my attitudes and thinking have been sinful. Since sin resists this and my old nature wants to look good regardless of what I am really like, sin’s tendency is to excuse it, or fake it, to try and portray to others what I think will impress them rather than being honest.

Honesty can be blunt and even unkind. This is why the NT clearly says,

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15–16)

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. (Ephesians 4:25)

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

Today’s reading points to this desire of God and how He used painful circumstances in the life of Job to accomplish it. First, it was God who was in control even though Satan did the work:

And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord…. And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” (Job 1:12 & 2:6)

Job lost everything, including his children. He was struck with sores and in pain. He complained yet at times revealed his faith in God. Finally, God spoke and showed this man how much he did not know, and Job said:

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1–6)

Then the Lord spoke to those who had accused Job that he was in this situation because of sin: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (Job 42:7)

What did God mean? That all Job’s complaints were right? Or that his confession was right? Or was it that Job continually expressed what his heart was telling him, and finally he realized that he didn’t know everything about God?

The reading makes the point that when life is horrid, like Job’s life, God has purpose in it, and that purpose might be to show me what my heart is really like and how much I need the grace of God. Otherwise, my top priority is me — when I need to “despise myself and repent” of being entirely self-centered before God.

PRAY: Jesus, a recent temptation in which I didn’t do that well is still bugging me, and this reading makes me realize that confessing my attitude is not enough. Like Job, I need to despise that old dead selfishness and turn from it with all my heart. You want my love for You to be total, covering all areas of life, not just those that others can see. You want total transparency from me I can hide some things but “O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.” (Psalm 69:5)