Mon.’s Devo - The Power of the Resurrection

Read: Job 8:1-11:20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28; Psalm 38:1-22; Provers 21:28-29 While reading Job I have to remind myself that their responses are not always right in that they are giving their interpretation of God and how he works. God has the final say in the end and he defends himself saying that none of them are totally right. But,we can learn some nuggets of truth in the midst of their conversations. Bildad speaks and his argument is that God doesn’t twist justice so somebody (Job) had to sin to result in Job’s calamity. He suggests that maybe it was Job’s children. He encourages Job to pray and seek God’s favor and if he is pure and lives with integrity, like he claims, things should turn around for him. Bildad alludes to what happens to those who forget God, but he tries to encourage Job with the promise of a good future if he lives in integrity. Job speaks and agrees with him in principle but argues who can stand innocent before God. Job only knows that in his own eyes, as far as he knows, he is innocent. He argues that no one could stand before God and be pure. Job wishes there was a mediator between him and God who could bring them together and speak for him. He wants to know what God’s charge is against him so he can fix it. He feels condemned without a cause. Zophar speaks up. He is ruthless and accuses Job of mocking God. He believes that God is punishing Job and it is less than he deserves. (Zophar is the worse comforter of all.) His answer is for Job to repent of his sin. In Corinthians, Paul adamantly preaches the resurrection. The resurrection is the rock we stand on. It is what we are living for and the power of the cross. Apparently, some in that day didn’t believe in the resurrection and Paul wanted to make it clear that to believe in Christ was not enough if they left out the resurrection. It is our hope and reward. We will all be resurrected after Jesus comes back. The first Adam brought sin and death and the second Adam brought righteousness and life. Jesus was the first to rise from the dead and all who belong to Christ are the harvest of that resurrection. God put everything under Jesus’ authority so he could destroy all of God’s enemies. Once that is accomplished, Jesus will the kingdom back under God’s authority and God will reign over everything everywhere. Lord, may we live under your authority and join you in bringing everything under you feet.