"How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman? If even the moon has no brightness and the stars are not pure in His sight, how much less man, that maggot, and the son of man, that worm!" (Job 25:4-6)How can man be special to God? How can man gain God's attention? Can he be acceptable to God? Can he be found clean and just before God? Can man ever be anything more than a worm and a maggot to God? These are the questions Bildad raises against Job's faith. Job believed that, if he could just appear before God, that God would acknowledge him and acquit him of all charges. However, Bildad responds that man can never be anything more than a lowly creature and can never become worthy of God's attention.
But can man be special to God? The biblical answer is yes! The record of the scriptures, both old and new testament, is that many men and women were deemed special before God. For example:
- Abraham: In Isaiah 41:8, God refers to Abraham as His friend.
- Moses: In, Exodus 33:11, God says that he speaks to Moses "face to face" as a man speaks to his friend.
- David: In 2nd Samuel 7:27, God declares that He will build David a house; speaking of his descendants and their rule over Israel.
How did all these people find favor with God. The answer is in Hebrews 11, where it says that it is "by faith". When man walks with God by faith, he finds favor with God. Consider what its was said about Abraham, "Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6) Abraham believed God and God credited his faith as righteousness. Man cannot endear himself to God by works of the law, but only by faith. "Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, 'THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.' " (Galatians 3:11) When we live by faith, God takes notice and he lifts us up from our "worminess" to sit with Him in heavenly places.
David Robison
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