Tues.’s Devo - God Our Deliverer

Read: Job 20:1-22:30; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 22:2-4 The friends who sat for a week and never said a word have made up for it. They have given their opinion about everything on their minds, right or wrong. Zophar feels prompted in his spirit to speak again. He explains how the ungodly only have temporary victories on earth. Their success on earth is limited to a short amount of time then their children suffer the consequences of their parent’s evil deeds. They have to pay back everything their parents acquired and they end up living in poverty. *** Job explains that this is not always true. He has seen many very rich and powerful keep their possessions and they pass down to the next generation and they enjoy the pleasures of sin also. He makes it clear that he is not judging people but his complaint is with God, himself. Why doesn’t God punish the ones who sin while they are alive instead of waiting to bring judgment down on their children. He complains that God is being unjust when he puts off judging them here on earth for their sins. Job is making the point that their arguments are not conclusive. *** Eliphaz asks if man even has a purpose when it comes to God. Is a righteous man even a help to God? Maybe God is punishing Job because he is self-righteous. But, no, he doesn’t think this because he believes Job is not righteous and is being judged because of his sins. Then he gives several scenarios that Job might have fallen into (22:6-9). He concludes that Job must return to the Lord and repent, then he will have the favor of God again. Then God will hear Job’s prayers and bless him. *** It is interesting to see that none of the four of these men contemplate Satan and his role on the earth. No one has even mentioned him. Sometimes we do the same thing. We are quick to want God to intervene in our lives when our beef is not with him but with Satan and we have been given the tools to fight him. *** Paul writes a second letter to those in Corinth. He prays for grace and peace for those who are following Christ. He praises God who is the source of all our comfort. We are to share that comfort with others. Maybe the reason Job’s friends could not comfort him was because they didn’t have the Comforter. Paul says that the more we suffer for Christ, the more comfort we will receive and the more comfort we can give others. *** Paul had definitely been through his share of trouble and near death experiences and yet God delivered him out of them all. He has much comfort to share with his brothers and sisters. Through everything we go through, we learn that God is able to rescue us from not only tangible danger but heart-ache and sorrow. *** Lord, thank you for our trials that make our hearts soft and cause us to see how great and powerful you are. You are the one who delivers us out of all our troubles and bless us with joy and comfort.