Daily Companion  | 16 November

FROM UR TO UZ - YOU CAN BE PERFECT

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." - Matthew 5:48 (NKJV)

It was about 600 BC, a man named Job, in the land of Uz (present-day Jordan) was a very rich yet pious man. He was "perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil" (Job 1:1). Hardly would you see a wealthy man being holy, righteous and devoted. Job was an exception. This teaches us that it is not impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Job went through undeserved sufferings that originated from Satan's envy of the prospering righteous and God's mysterious interventions in the affairs of men. In all, Job remained righteous and refused to fall into the temptation and pressure to curse God for his woes.

In about 2000 BC, Abraham of Ur (present-day Iran, roughly 2000km away from Uz) was another man who loved and obeyed God with all his heart. Despite his unwavering faith and consecration to God, he was a man with common human weaknesses and needs until God called him to perfection. "The LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect." (Genesis 17:1)." To Abraham's seed, God also commanded "Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God." (Deuteronomy 18:13)

Christ came 2000 years after Abraham to demonstrate what perfection is and command every believer to be perfect: you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

Man is too limited in knowledge to declare another as perfect. Our prejudice, bias and wrong judgment will make us wrongly assess who is perfect or not. But from Ur to Uz, only God Himself is the righteous Judge, Assessor and Declarant of the perfect. So don't mind what people say about you. It is God who demands and declares the perfect.  

Beloved, it is over 2000 AD, and the demand of God has not changed. From Ur to Uz, God's standard has not changed. From 2000 BC to 2000 AD, His words are still the same. What God requires from you now is to aspire to be perfect which means "to be blameless, and without blemish" not necessarily infallible or without regrets. It is a career of faith not of pride or boasting. "For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God." (Luke 16:15). So as you step out this day, you can be perfect if you believe.

Today’s Recite: "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." - Philippians 3:15 

Today’s Morning Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for today's challenge. I receive grace and faith to be perfect in Jesus' name. Remove every imperfection and blemish from my life. Sanctify me and make me holy and acceptable in Your sight always. For I pray in Jesus mighty name. Amen!  

Today’s Hymn: Called Unto Holiness

Today's ReadMe: 2 Thessalonians 1 - 3