Human Nature to Flee

Scripture:
Your hands have shaped me and made me completely,
    yet You destroy me.
Remember, I pray,
    that You have made me as the clay.
    And would You return me to dust?
Have You not poured me out as milk
    and curdled me like cheese?
You have clothed me with skin and flesh,
    and have knit me together with bones and sinews.
You have granted me life and loyal love,
    and Your care has preserved my spirit.
Job 10:8-12

Observation: Job makes a direct appeal to God about his situation, which can be summarized in three statements: I have tried to live a good life; Please remember that you created me; It would be better if you ignored me.  In other words, Job has sunk to the level of appealing to God to just leave him be. Job himself is simply a humble part of God's creation, and while he cannot understand the judgment that is playing out upon him it would be better to simply to ignored.

This of course isn't true. First, it assumes the sorrow of Job is both a punishment, and from God. It isn't. In fact, the problems are a result of God removing his blessing and protection. It is effectively the result of what Job is asking for ... God removed his attentions as a blessed part of creation from Job.

Application: In my freewill, I once asked God to leave me alone. The amazing thing is that ... he did, but he didn't. He removed his love from my daily life, but I later saw that he always engaged when I needed him. Like Job, it seems that both those who believe in God and those who don't believe have an interaction with God where - when we are acknowledging that we are sinful beings - seek isolation from God. This idea goes back to Adam, who upon discovering the difference between good and evil immediately hid from God.

It takes a unique character to look toward God in our iniquity - to seek his light in the self-realization of our own darkness. That is where Jesus comes in as intermediary. Jesus is a person who we can turn to, and who in turn leads us into the light by promising the removal of our sins through belief in him.

Prayer: Dear Lord, may we always keep sight of the fact that our nature is to flee from your perfect love because of our awareness of our imperfection. This is true for non-believers, believers, and myself. Help me to always and immediately seek Jesus when this impulse strikes. Do not let me flee into the dark and thus be susceptible to Satan, but rather let me cling to the hand of Jesus, my rock and foundation. Amen.