Essence of Being

O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart. - Psalm 15:1-2

Integrity - adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character

Blameless - free from the responsibility of a fault or an error; guiltless

Then [Job's] wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” - Job 2:9

As I read where the word integrity is used in the Bible, I gain a sense that it means more than the Webster's dictionary definition above.  It is often translated 'blameless' and I found that interesting.  In Titus 2:6-7 it says, "exhort the young men to be ... in doctrine showing integrity" or "urge the young men to be ... pure in doctrine".  And there is that revelation that I was getting from the translations to the word integrity in Psalm and Proverbs. 

Who can stay with God?  Who can be where He is?  That person who is sound and pure in their understanding of God and His ways, that person who acts as God acts (for none is righteous but God (Romans 3:10)), and that person who speaks as God speaks (for there is only one truth (John 14:6) and that which proceeds out of the mouth shows the heart (James 3)).

With that understanding we can now see the relevance of what Job's wife was really asking him can't we?  She exclaimed in distress to Job, "Do you still hold fast to your understanding of God, to act as He does, to speak as He speaks?  Curse God and die!"  What an evil event Satan was allowed to do and what a plan of attack.  Not only does he take all that Job loves, he persuades his closest ally, his confidant to turn on God to attack Job's very faith, his very essence of life and definition of character.

Isn't this very area where I see Satan's best attack upon me?  Isn't this very area of my understanding of God, to act in Godly ways, and to speak Godly words from a heart fixed on the truth of Jesus the single point of attack by Satan?  Yes it is.  And it is foolish to see it in any other way.  I must guard my essence of life provided by the foundation of God and hold it tight.  Jesus clarified it in Matthew 13:44-45 where a treasure is found and the person sells all they have to keep it.  So must be my attitude and thought towards holding onto and valuing this internal God, the essence of my being.