Tues.’s Devo - Maintaining Integrity

Read: Job 23:1-27:23; 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11; Psalm 41:1-13; Proverbs 22:5-6 Job defends his stance with the Lord. He states that if he could sit down and talk with the Lord, he knows God would give him a fair hearing. His case is that he has stayed on God’s path and follow his ways and not departed from his ways. He treasures God’s word more than his daily food. He knows that when he tests him, he will come out as pure as gold. He knows that God controls his destiny. *** Job wonders why God doesn’t judge the evil people who are doing horrible things. He knows that God watches what they do and is aware of their ways. *** Bildad gives his reply. He asks Job how he can say he is innocent before God. He asks Job how he thinks he has been the world’s great savior? All creation is afraid of God’s great power, but Job. *** Job answers that as long as he lives he will never concede that Bildad is right. He defends his integrity and claims that his conscience is clear. *** Job claims that the wicked may enjoy their wealth, but their children will not be the ones to enjoy it. Their wealth is stored up for the righteous. *** In Corinthians, Paul, like Job defends his integrity. He reminds the people of how he and his team have conducted themselves. It is God who enables us to stand firm or Christ. He gave us his Holy Spirit as a first installment that guarantees all his promises are true. *** Paul explains the reason he hadn’t returned to them. He would have had to give them a severe rebuke. He has waited so they could set things right, so that when he did come it would be a joyful visit. *** There had been a person who had come into the church and was living in incest. Paul had had to rebuke the church for letting this man stay. He had told them to expel the man and turn him over to Satan for the saving of his soul. When they did what Paul told them to do it caused the man to repent. Now, Paul encouraged them to forgive and comfort him. By doing this, they had outsmarted Satan. *** Lord, may we live lives of integrity and love your ways more than life. You work all things for our good.