Thurs.’s Devo - Job’s Defense

Read: Job 4:1-7:21; 1 Corinthians 14:18-40; Psalm 37:30-40; Provers 21:27 As Job and his three friends sat in silence, Eliphaz from Team finally spoke up. He began by saying all the good things Job had done, then he added that his experience showed that you reap what you sow. *** He went on to tell about a dream he had had where God asked him two questions: can a mortal be innocent before God? and can anyone be pure before the Creator? *** Eliphaz added that even the angels that rebelled against God were charged with foolishness in God’s court. *** He added that he had seen fools become successful for the moment but then fall into sudden disaster, suggesting that this is what happened to Job. Then he gave Job his advise about what he should do. He told him to present his case to God in his court and let God correct him. He gives him the seven disasters that God will deliver him from if he repents: death, power, slander, fear, destruction, famine, and wild animals. *** Job responded and defended his complaints. Job doesn’t have the strength to go on and now his friends are accusing him of being the one responsible for his misery. This was not helping him at all. He told them to stop accusing him without any proof. They assumed he had done wrong, but he hadn’t. He asked the question, is not all life a struggle? *** Then Job prays and pours out his soul to God. He begged to die and if he has sinned he asks what it was he had done. He asks why can’t God just forgive his sin and take away his guilt. *** In Corinthians, Paul thanks God that he speaks in tongues more than any of them. But he explains that when he is in the church meeting, he speaks in English so they can understand him. He admonishes them to be mature in their walk with the Lord but be innocent to the things of the world. *** Speaking in tongues in the church is a sign to the unbelievers because when they hear the unknown tongue spoken and then someone else tell what it means, they will become believers for they have just witnessed a miracle. What the Spirit can reveal is secret things that man does not know. It can reveal hearts and be a great testimony to God. *** In their church many were speaking in tongues and it was taking up the whole time, so Paul told them to limit it to two or three. They were to take turns speaking and honor each other’s revelations. *** Lord, I pray that we would mature in hearing your voice and be bold in speaking it. May we do it properly and in your order.