I’ve been listening to Handel’s Messiah since it’s Christmas and Bryan and I’ll be attending a sing-along in Downtown LA later this month. The music is wonderful, but today, I heard an aria I’d never really listened to before. It comes right after the ever popular “Hallelujah!” chorus, and it is a Soprano aria based upon my favorite scripture of all time: Job 19:25–26.

25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

This has been my favorite scripture since I was a teen, and I thought I understood it, but today, I saw another level to it.

What I’ve always appreciated is Job’s unwavering faith in the fact that Christ lives. That Christ will fulfill his role as Redeemer and truly be the Savior of all mankind. Since gaining my testimony, I have believed in the existence of God and Christ. Even when I was not actively going to church, I knew this to be true.

What I didn’t connect with was verse 26 which focuses on who Job is and what is required for him to “see” God. It is impossible for a human man to see God. Because God is perfect and man has sinned, God cannot tolerate our presence, nor would we want to be in His presence. Man must be transformed or transfigured (I’m not sure which) by God in order for man to converse with Him. It has been done (Brother of Jared, Joseph Smith), but that person’s faith must be unwavering. Job had that type of faith and I aspire to it (and fail miserably).

This comes down to the difference between having faith that the Lord lives versus believing that He is the Savior and that each one of his brothers and sisters can be by His side in the latter days. That being said, I guess, I have some serious time kneeling in prayer for this to occur.

Better get started now …