Faithful to the North Star

Faithful to the North Star

Job is a person of impeccable character, a man of integrity, a person

of substance and a man with a vigorous and authentic spiritual life, combined with a deep concern for his family. He is a pillar of moral integrity, a model of spiritual authenticity and a recognized and respected success. People admired and God marked out as special.

But then suddenly, unpredictably everything changes. From his perspective one disaster follows another and tears apart his life. He does not realize the reasons why. But God and the evil one are in conflict and Job is central to it. Job loses everything he once had as important. Then eventually he also becomes ill. He is in much pain and is socially isolated. He is reduced to a beggar-like existence and his life seems to be hopeless.

Many people suffer many different things like Job. Few have suffered all that he did but each of us can identify with the feeling of being far out at sea in a life-threatening storm with no familiar landmarks in sight.

Sailors of old would not venture out beyond the sight of land as they could very well be confused as to where they were. It was not until these sailors looked up and saw the stars and their patterns and brightness that they realized that they could go out a lit further into the oceans. The stars would guide them and particularly the North Star, Polaris, would be their point of reference wherever they traveled.

If God’s purpose is to magnify His glory, Satan’s purpose is to defame God and glory. So why does Job serve God? Why do the righteous serve God? Why do we call ourselves the children of God? Because God is our North Star no matter what we experience or where we go. We can take our bearings from God so that we can carry on and live for him. Job knows God well before the crises hit. He draw upon a lifetime of worshiping and walking with God. At one of the lowest moments of this time, Job doesn’t walk away but gets up, tears his robe and shaves his head as a sign of mourning and respect. He then fell to the ground and worshiped God. He trusts God, his North Star to lead his life even in times of trial. And Job knows God.

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. … I will see him … How my heart yearns within me.” Job 19:25-27

Do you follow the North Star—the triune God revealed in Jesus Christ.  .Jesus is the fixed point, the North Star.. “The bright Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16) He should be the fixed reference point by which each of us determines our location and direction.

REFLECTION:
Have you ever seen the North Star in all its brilliance in the sky? How is Jesus like this guiding star for your life? How would you improve this understanding for yourself that is growing in knowledge that Jesus does lead and guide you?

PRAYER

Wonderful God of love enable us to truly say, “I know that my Redeemer lives” with our whole heart and mind. Enable us to know that we truly belong to you.

Hear us O God as we pray and offer our lives to you. Amen.

This reflection is based upon some ideas offered by Gary Inrig in his book, True North: Discovering God’s Way in a Changing World,  Discovery House Publishers, 2002; ch.2