Thurs’s Devo - Elihu should have quit sooner!

Read Job 34 Elihu continues. He calls for all the wise, knowledgable men to listen to him. He wants them to agree with him about the fact that Job claims to be righteous and is not listening to their truth. He puts Job in the category of the sinners and wicked men. He accuses Job of saying that there is no reward in delighting himself in God. But, God does not sin nor does he judge unfairly. As for man, he will reap what he sows. No one gave God authority over the earth so if he decides to destroy man, he can. Who can condemn God or accuse him of anything unholy? It would be worse than accusing the king of wickedness or the prince of being ungodly. God looks at the king like he does the poor because he made them all. He does not regard one person higher than another. He can displace a king in an instant. God sees all and knows all. Nothing can be hid from him. He judges the mighty and punishes those who have no respect for him. When God brings peace, who can disturb it and when he hides, he can’t be found. He exposes the hypocrite. Elihu ends with telling everyone that Job doesn’t know what he is talking about and that he desires Job to be put on trial for defending the wicked and rebelling against God. Talk about digging a hole that is going to be hard to climb out of: Elihu has done just that. A lesson to learn from his boldness - save your boldness for witnessing not judging. Elihu is about to be judged for how he judged Job. Lord, may we let you be our judge and not ourselves. Your judgment is filled with mercy.

Wed.’s Devo - Elihu Speaks for the Youth

Read Job 32,33 Elihu is a young man who has sat back and listened to this whole account and what everyone has said. He is a godly man except his family is of the Buzite which means “contempt”. He is full of contempt for Job for his stand, and his three friends because they could not persuade Job of his sin. Since Elihu is the youngest, he has remained silent to honor the aged. Now that they have run out of words, he is there to fill the empty space. He is full of answers waiting to be delivered. He begins his speech explaining why they need to hear from him. He is no longer convinced that age brings wisdom, because, he is young and full of it. He rebukes his elders for not being able to convince Job of his guilt. Elihu is bursting with wisdom that needs to come out. He is convinced that he is God’s man for the hour even though he is a mere man. He tells Job that he has heard his plea of innocence even though God is clearly punishing him. Then he argues that God is greater than Job and it is not Job’s business to know why God does what he does. God speaks to man in symbols like in dreams. That way man can’t say he had anything to do with it. God’s purpose for communicating is to give man His will for their lives, and to keep him from falling into the sin of pride and impending harm. One of the way God chastens his children is through pain that is so severe it take the daily desires of food away. This man eventually starves to death. But if someone, like himself, comes and shows that man his sin, then his soul can be ransomed back. He will be given back his youth and God will hear his prayers. His sorrow will be turned to joy. In fact, anyone who calls to God with repentance will be saved. Then he tells Job that he has nothing to fear as long as he listens to him and does what he says. Some of what Elihu said was true, but most of it was distorted because it came from a proud man. But, he was right when he said that he who calls to God with repentance will be saved. Thank you, Lord.

Tues.’s Devo - Job’s Last Plea

Read Job 31 Every young man….and old man should put verse one to memory. Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look longingly on a woman. Why do we think sin is something we can’t conquer. Yesterday I typed ‘Romans’ on my phone app and listened to the reader read Romans. We need to do that often. According to Romans we don’t have to sin. It is our choice whether to live in bondage to sin or to live alive to the spirit. If we choose to live alive to the spirit, then the Holy Spirit will help us. We don’t have to sin! Back to Job. Since Job can’t find anything he has done to deserve God’s punishment, he wonders why he is being repaid this way. Job is going through his personal affairs and wondering how his righteous living got him such unfair results. He treated his wife honorably and his servants with respect. He gave to the poor , the fatherless, and the widow. He obeyed his parents and didn’t trust in the world’s riches. He gave God the glory for all he had and didn’t take the glory for himself for all he had achieved. He didn’t rejoice when his enemy was destroyed or harmed. He never cursed his enemies with his mouth. Job always brought travelers to his house to stay. He never tried to hide his sins like Adam and always faced those who had a complaint against him. He wishes that his adversary would have written a book so he could read the part about him and why this is happening. If the land is crying against him, he can prove that he has never taken the fruits of anyones field without first paying or caused anyone to lose their life. Job is at a loss as to why he is going through this so he finally ends his debate. When John the Baptist was in prison and didn’t understand why the very one who was to set the prisoners free hadn’t set him free. Look at what John had sacrificed for Jesus. You would think he would come to his rescue. Instead, Jesus reminded John the things he did do - open the blind eyes, heal the sick, etc. Then he made the statement: blessed are those who are not offended in me. Lord, help us to accept your perfect will for our lives and not get offended when they don’t turn out the way we expected. We trust you.

Mon.’s Devo - This Light Affliction

Read Job 30:21-31 Job felt like the Lord was torturing him. God had abandoned him to wait for death. Then Job goes into a pity party reminding God of all the good he had done. He had comforted those who mourned and given to the poor. He looked for the good in everything, but, instead he found evil, and darkness instead of light. Job complains of his physical pain in his stomach and his lack of sleep because of his discomfort. He has lost hope: no sun. His only family and friends are the serpents and the owls,. He is sunburnt and his song has turned to mourning. We have all felt at one time that God was our enemy and nothing good was happening to us. But, maybe like Job, our faith was being tested. People watch how we respond to hard situations and our trials might lead them to their salvation. Jesus death and suffering led to the salvation of all who come to him. 2 Co. 4:17-18 puts it like this: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. Lord, help us to see into the eternal and not get tripped up by the temporal. May our lives be for your glory.

Fri.’s Devo - Before and After

Read Job 29 - 30:20 In today’s speech, Job mourns his past life. In the past Job walked in the favor of God. God’s light and revelation made the darkness light. God told Job his secrets and everyone came to hear what Job had to say. God’s presence was with him and his family was his comfort. His steps were anointed and he was filled with the joy of the Lord. He had honor among men - young and old alike. Even princes and noblemen came to hear his knowledge. He reminds me of an early Solomon. Job also gave to the poor and the widow and walked in righteousness and judged fairly. He dispelled evil and gave back what they had stolen. Job had influence all over the world and slept in peace. His word was final and weighty. He ruled as a leader in the army, yet had compassion on those who mourned the death of their loved ones. Job gave us a perfect description of a mature Christian. In the next chapter he gives us an account of his life now that he has lost everything. Now, younger men from base families that he had no respect for, have no respect for him. They were people who lived in want and poverty and had bad reputations. They were not allowed to live in the city with the civilized people but lived in caves and clifts where Job now lives. They are the evil fools that now laugh at his expense. They hate Job now and make fun of him and spit in his face. They persecute Job and terrorize him. Job has become so skinny he can feel his bones which cause him not to be able to get comfortable at night. His sores have ruined his clothes. He feels like God has thrown him away and is no longer listening to his prayers. Lord, how quickly we, like Job, can go from on top of the world to a pit of depression because of our circumstances. May we learn from Job to praise you an trust you no matter what we are going through.

Thurs.’s Devo - Where is Wisdom Found?

Read Job 28 Job begins talking about 4 different kinds of metals that have to be searched for and taken out of the earth or out of stone. These metals come by hard work. The silver stands for knowledge; the gold for wisdom; the iron for strength; and the brass for judgment. He calls these “stones of darkness” because they are hidden under the earth much like God’s knowledge, wisdom, strength, and judgments seem to be. They are ours only if we unearth them with a cost. Then we are no longer in the dark about the hidden things of God like death and hidden secrets. Verse 4 speaks of a flood which a miner might accidentally run into that is full of metal. Spiritually it is speaking of a person who mines the Word for the secrets of God. He stumbles on a flood of revelation that is full of nuggets. On the surface it is bread to our souls but underneath is where the fire burns the metal and makes it pure. We can read the Bible and it will feed us spiritually or we can go beneath the surface where the fire of God will purge our hearts. Then those metals will bring forth sapphires and gold. Sapphires were used for scratching other substance which reminds me of the verse: “Iron sharpens iron so a man sharpens the countenance of his friends.” God’s throne is the color of sapphire and it is also a stone in the priest’s breastplate. God has paths that no bird or beast has ever found just as he has heavenly portals that no created being knows of. He can open mountains to reveal precious stones just like he can open his Word and give us truth that no previous person has unearthed. He can cut out rivers among the rocks just as he can cause us to find precious things that are hidden among the Word (rocks). Jesus told us in Matt. 13:11 that it is for us to know the mysteries of heaven. Proverbs tells us that wisdom and knowledge and understanding can be ours by fearing God and searching for Him with all our hearts. Wisdom is only found in God. It can’t be bought nor is there anything on earth compared to God’s wisdom. Job realizes in the last verse that wisdom is found in fearing God. Understanding is found when you depart from evil. Lord, we desire You above all else, and You are wisdom.

Wed.’s Devo - The Sin Question

Read Job 27 Job continues to defend his righteousness in spite of the fact that God is causing his life to be bitter. Then he describes the life of the wicked. Instead of seeing the wicked as prospering like he spoke of before, he now sees them cursed. Their children are killed in war or famine. The wicked man stores up riches that the righteous will use. If he escapes war and famine then he will die by the plague (“called the black death”). No one will be left alive to perform the funeral. Instead of being gathered to lie with his people, his death will lead to terror and a whirlwind will take him away to God’s wrath. What a fearful end to life. God has given us baptism to be a symbol of our death in Christ. Romans 6:7 says that he who has died has been freed from sin. We are now dead to sin and alive to God. We are to present our members a instruments of righteousness to God. Sin no longer has dominion over us, for we are not under law but under grace. We are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness. We now produce fruit to holiness. I get so tired of hearing Christians say that we have to sin everyday. WE DON’T! If we do then we need to be baptized. We are a work in progress but our end is holiness. Lord, only your spirit can reveal your plan of salvation and sanctification. Let your Word set us free from condemnation so that we can boldly proclaim your righteousness.