Quote for the Day
“I will teach you about the power of God, the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.”
Today's Prayer
This week pray for those traveling that they may deepen their relationship with God Almighty. Ask God to clearly speak to them and encourage them in their daily walk. Pray that those alone at home will be able to see God’s promise and comfort as they await the return of their loved one.
Job chapter 27
Job chapter 27 (NIV)1 And Job continued his discourse:2 “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul,3 as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils,4 my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.5 I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity.6 I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.7 “May my enemies be like the wicked, my adversaries like the unjust!8 For what hope has the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?9 Does God listen to his cry when distress comes upon him?10 Will he find delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?11 “I will teach you about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.12 You have all seen this yourselves. Why then this meaningless talk?13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:14 However many his children, their fate is the sword; his offspring will never have enough to eat.15 The plague will bury those who survive him, and their widows will not weep for them.16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay,17 what he lays up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver.18 The house he builds is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut made by a watchman.19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest snatches him away in the night.21 The east wind carries him off, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.23 It claps its hands in derision and hisses him out of his place.
Message
In this chapter, Job begins with a commentary about himself to his fellow helpers. A casual reader might see self-righteousness, or even anger towards the “wisdom” of his friends. Before you judge Job and his comments, you must first recall how God Himself describes Job in chapter one with phrases such as, “no one like him”, “blameless and upright”, ”fears God and shuns evil”. Yes, this was God’s description of Job, so it would appear that Job would be able to describe himself in an accurate manner. Prior to his dissertation in the second half of the chapter, Job reminds the friends that he is confident about who has placed him in this current state of affairs…God! Yet he immediately says that he will have NO wickedness or deceit come from his tongue about God or anything else. God called him a man of integrity and Job professes to maintain that integrity throughout any and all circumstances.As we look to the second half of the chapter, recall how Job had earlier reminded his friends of the wicked and their ability to survive and thrive in this life. Now he takes the same men and tells us about their ultimate fate beginning in verse 13. He sees the evil man seemingly escaping the judgment of God today, while he is suffering, yet he is fully aware and confident that God and God alone will deal with the evil man and his sin.How about us? Can we leave the punishment of the wicked up to God? Or is important to you and me to insure that the wicked do not thrive? This week let’s focus on our relationship with God and allow Him to decide the fate of the world (or our “evil” neighbor, boss, co-worker…).