Job's Confidence

Dear Jesus - I praise You that we can bring You all of our questions and You will answer them!

A few weeks back, I concluded reading the book of Job and jumped straight into Psalms.  Both of these books have many things in common - but the theme that struck me was this:  Job & David vehemently and with confidence declare themselves righteous.  Sometimes - in the same breath used to utter not-so-nice phrases against those who disagree with their statements.  This puzzled me.  The picture in Psalm 51 resonates more loudly with my life struggle wherein 'my sins are always before me'.  I wanted to know:  how could they tout their own righteousness so confidently?A few arguments presented themselves:

• Perhaps Job was sitting on his ash-heap after having completed his morning devotions and therefore, confident his confession was complete - declared himself righteous.
• Perhaps there was some sort of implied statement of: I know this to be true because Jesus blood covers my sin, and I will confess my sins

There are likely many more possible arguments.  None that seemed applicable to my life.  Nothing presented itself that I could directly relate to.  Now - at this point - I wish I would have prayed about this.  Instead, I rather mulled it over in my own mind.  This last year or so has taught me the Holy Spirit works beautifully in my head to bubble up questions He intends to answer.  And so it happened this time.

My devotion time came and I read Psalm 19 - which includes the following verses:

Psalm 19:12-13 (NKJV)

¹² Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
¹³ Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

 

As I closed out the chapter, my eye wandered back to these verses.  Verses 12 and 13 form a couplet or a single thought.  Guided, I'm certain, by the Holy Spirit I re-arranged the sentence and it exploded to my vision.  Try this:

I shall be innocent of great transgression, I shall be blameless; presumptuous sins will not have dominion over me when YOU keep YOUR servant from them and cleanse me from secret faults.  Then I will understand my errors.

Wow.  Now - you may choose to disagree with my inclusion of the verse 12 thought into verse 13.  Or you may disagree with an additional element of my paraphrase.  But - I think we can both agree on this:  It is amazingly clear in this verse - when assessed - that JESUS keeps me from presumptuous sins.  Jesus keeps them from having dominion over me.  Jesus keeps me blameless.  Jesus keeps me innocent of great transgression.  Isn't that amazing?

As I ponder this in the context of Job, in the songs of David, and then apply the lesson to my own life - I am amazed.  The theology I always knew and agreed with.  But the Bible, the Holy Word of Jesus, opened the application to me in a way that is more precious than gold.

Thank You Jesus for Your Word.  Thank You for Your Spirit which teaches us.  Thank You that spiritual things ARE spiritually discerned!