Friday, January 9, 2015

Fri.’s Devo - Condemnation or Conviction

Read: Job 21-23
Job contemplates the lives of the wicked. They seem to be happy and prosperous and then they die. Their lives mean nothing important here on the earth but to satisfy themselves. Others come to some destruction here on earth before they die, but all are judged in the end and if they are evil they are destroyed. Job argues that his lack of prosperity doesn’t mean that God is punishing him.
Eliphaz still holds to the fact that Job has done some horrible act that has landed him in this spot. He urges Job to repent and make peace with God. Then Job’s wealth will return and God’s favor will once again rest on his head.
Job answered that he would love to have an audience with God and plead his cause. He has searched for God with his whole heart and not found him.
This is an age old argument we have with God. When things go wrong we tend to be like Eliphaz and blame it on our sin. We allow the devil to put us in the prison house of condemnation. Job refuses to take the condemnation. Job knows he is not perfect, but he also knows that God is a loving God who knows the frailty of man and looks at his heart. Job knew that his heart was right. I love Job’s tenaciousness. He stood firm in his conviction. We need to do that when the devil condemns us and blames us for everything that goes wrong. We need to seek God like Job did and wait for Him to answer because God answered Job and He will answer us too.
Lord, help us to wear your salvation like a shield and not let the devil’s arrows of condemnation pierce our hearts. Help us to wait on You, for surely You will come.

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