Job CCLII

 “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” That’s the one sentence that resonated to the degree that it kept me up half the night. Job’s words not only challenge, but to a certain extent admonish, because they put the way we should view the Word of God into perspective, and looking back, I can pinpoint times, and even seasons, when I fell short of that ideal. It’s the passion and hunger with which Job describes the way he viewed the words of His mouth that are humbling more than anything else. It’s the value and worth, the rightful place of prominence that he assigns the words of God’s mouth that causes me to search my heart and realize that there have been times when the issues of life took precedent, if only for a short while, and I did not view the Word through the same prism Job viewed the words of God’s mouth.

We take the Word of God for granted as though we were owed it, deserved it, and everyone else throughout the history of mankind had the same ease of access and abundance of it as we do today. Perhaps it’s because our present generation has adopted the mindset that scarcity equals value, and if the Word is in such abundance here in the West, its worth must diminish in proportion to its availability.

My grandfather was a Bible smuggler. I understand better than most that in certain parts of the world, even to this day, the Word of God is rare, treasured, sought after, and sacrificed for. I also understand that it is hated by both the enemy and his minions, and above all, his other machinations, the enemy’s paramount purpose is to keep God’s Word from reaching the hands, hearts, and minds of men.

That we would have the complete canon of scripture within easy reach, readily accessible and available, and still turn aside to fables is not only telling but damning. It’s not ignorance that is making men embrace a different gospel; it’s not scarcity or lack of availability; it’s willful rebellion. They don’t like what the Bible has to say, so they either make up their own version or gravitate toward those who’ve done the legwork of producing heresy and made up their versions already.

Rather than obsessing over things we can’t control, and becoming overnight experts about everything from CERN to dwarf planets, to black holes, aliens, inter-dimensional flight, or alternate realities, our time might be better spent asking ourselves one question before resting our head on our pillows every night: Did I treasure the words of His mouth more than my necessary food today?

What does this mean? In essence, it’s whether I prioritized the spiritual man over the physical, not so much the flesh but rather the basic necessities of this present life. That the flesh must be crucified is a given, but this is not what Job was referring to. What he was saying is that the words of His mouth, the presence of God, and intimacy with Him must take precedent over everything, including what is deemed necessary for survival, such as food. As Jesus would later expound, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

It’s about priorities and what we place at the top of our hierarchy of needs. As children of God, our hierarchical need structure must differ from that of the world. While the world is focused on psychological needs, security and safety, love, belonging, or esteem, our top priority must be seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Our spiritual man, spiritual needs, and spiritual growth take priority, no matter how busy we get or how many responsibilities we have.

This must be an active, consistent, and purposeful pursuit, not something we hope will come about, but rather something we are actively working toward. If it isn’t, if we do not prioritize God in our day-to-day lives, there will always be something pressing that demands our attention, some new issue only we can solve, and we end up putting off the eternally consequential for the trivial matters of life that, looking back, will seem irrelevant.

God knows we need to eat, keep a roof over our heads, and clothes on our backs, and He promises that if we seek Him first, the things He knows we need will be provided for. Trusting in the promises of God eliminates fear about tomorrow and anxiousness about today. I am doing what Jesus said I must, which is to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Everything else, God has well in hand.

The choice before us is a simple one: Either we double down and keep pace with the ever-accelerating hamster wheel, working twice as hard to have half as much of the things of this world, or we rest in Him, knowing He is a good Father who keeps His promises to His children. Are you saying we should stop going to work? No, because ever since Adam, it is with the sweat of our brow that we must earn our daily bread. What I am saying is that if we consistently prioritize God, whether it’s over the promotion we’re vying for, the five-cent bump in hourly pay, or the shiny new car we’ve been eyeing, we will come to realize that He satisfies far more than any of those things combined.

Mark 8:36, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?”

Know what matters most and pursue it with abandon. As Jesus asked, what will it profit anyone if he gains the whole world, not just a mansion on a beach, a Rolex, a Bentley, or a Learjet, but the whole world, lock, stock, and barrel, yet they lose their soul? Nothing. Nothing at all, because one day, though they may have gained the world, they will return to the dust of the earth, then judgment.

When offering a summary of life, the once greatest of all the people of the East said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In case you’re wondering, yes, it was the same man who said: “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” Priorities, indeed.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.