Fri.’s Devo - The Power and the Light

Read: Job 34:1-36:33; 2 Corinthians 4:1-12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 22:10-12
Where Job’s other friends suggest that Job might have some hidden sin in his life that he needs to repent of, Elihu is relentless in his accusations. He accuses Job of associating with wicked men. He says that God repays a man for what he has done and brings upon him what his conduct deserves. God doesn’t pervert justice and his judgments are right so behind a doubt, God is punishing Job for his sins. He tells Job that God is wooing him from his place of distress so he can bring him to a place of freedom.
The thing about all the words of Job’s friends is that they can be true in some circumstances, they just weren’t true in Job’s. They were not a word in due season. God is the god of justice and judgment and he does reward the righteous and punish the wicked, but sometimes we never see that here on earth. God is sovereign and his ways are not our ways but are higher than man’s.
I think it is fitting that every year we read the book of Job in the August which on the Jewish calendar is around the month of Av. In the month of Av much spiritual warfare goes on for Israel and for the world. In this month both of the temples were destroyed, Katrina hit New Orleans, the Jews were thrown out of Spain in 1942, the spies came back with their evil report about the promised land, Aaron died, WW1 began, the Battle of Bull Run was fought, the Crusades began, and Nebuchadnezar’s guard set fire to Jerusalem. These are just a few events that have happened during the month of Av over the years. Think back over this month and reflect on the spiritual warfare you have gone through. I know I have seen it.
In Paul’s letter he reminds us that the light we have in us is Jesus. He puts his light in our clay jars just like Joshua told them to put their torches inside the jars of clay at Jericho. When the time came to take the city, he told them to shout and break their clay jars to expose the light. The walls of Jericho came tumbling down. Our bodies are the clay jars that hold the power of God waiting to be released. The way it is released is to be broken. The less power we have in ourselves, the greater the power of God can be exposed in our lives. God is greatest in our weakness.
Lord, we trust in your right hand and the light of your face to bring us victory over our enemies.