Blessing in Adversity

The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning;

Job 42:12

Job had been through tremendous suffering and hardship. He lost all his children. He lost his possessions. His wife didn't support him, and his friends were miserable comforters. Yet, Job remained faithful, and God blessed him for it. This adversity made him stronger because he remained faithful.

Lord, help me to be strengthened by adversity. Help me to become better in hardship. Help me to realize that the hard times are what makes me more meek, kind, understanding and humble.

God's Purposes Are Not Thwarted

Then Job answered the Lord and said, "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted."

Job 42:1

Job understood that God was in control. It doesn't matter what happens, God still accomplishes His purposes. Many times throughout history, men who hated God and were working against Him actually fulfilled God's plans. I believe the greatest example is the death of Jesus. Satan was working hard to have victory over Christ's earthly ministry, and just when it seemed he had won, Jesus died for us and redeemed the whole world. He made a way for us to have salvation and be free in Christ. No purpose of God is thwarted.

Lord, thank You that we can trust You to always have Your way. Thank You that no evil person, no politician, do demon can ruin Your plans. Thank You that we can know that we are on the winning team.

I Am Insignificant

"Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth."

Job 40:4

After God had spoken, Job realized how small he was. He realized that he had nothing to say. God was so much greater than he was.

When we have an encounter with God, we will feel the same way. We will see God's greatness and our smallness. We will have nothing to say.

Lord, help me to daily live in communion with You. Help me to realize that, without You, I can do nothing. Help me to depend on You for everything. Help to be like Job and realize Your greatness and my smallness. Thank You that You love us so much even though we are are so insignificant.

"Who has put wisdom in the innermost being
Or given understanding to the mind?"

Job 38:36

God has given us amazing minds. He has given us so much more ability to think and to reason than He has given the animals. Beyond that, He has connected our minds to our soul and spirit. We have emotions and feelings. We can feel love and compassion. We can have relationships. We are incredibly complex beings. He has made us so wonderfully! And, he made us so that He could have a relationship with us. He desires to walk with us. He wants us to stay close to Him. He wants us to glorify Him.

Lord, help me to live for the purpose You created me for. Help me to feel Your love and share it with those around me. Help me to reflect that love back to You. Help me to live in complete submission to You. I want my life to glorify You only. I know that I haven't attained that yet, but it is my desire, and I trust that You will lead me as I seek to honor You.

He Thunders With His Majestic Voice

He thunders with His majestic voice,

Job 37:4

I believe it is good for us to stop and think on the power of God. It was His idea to create this incredible universe. He designed and created it in six days.It doesn't matter how much we study, we will never stop discovering new things about creation. The intricate design that He put into everything around us is simply beyond our imagination. It is evident in everything from tiny single-celled animals to the huge mountains. The power of earthquakes and hurricanes is just a small testament to the power of our great God. The vastness of out space is way beyond our comprehension.

Yet, He cares about each one of us. He loves us unconditionally. He wants a relationship with us. And, when we broke that relationship, He was willing to die to restore it. Don't disappoint Him.

God, You are awesome. I cannot begin to fathom Your greatness. I desire to understand more about You. I want to live for You all my life. Help me to always live in thankfulness and service to You.

He Commands the Lightning

"He covers His hands with the lightning,
And commands it to strike the mark.

Job 36:32

In an age when weather forecasting has become a very advanced science, we tend to take God out of the weather equation. We look at all the factors that influence weather, and we forget that God is in control. I know that I often forget to thank God for favorable weather or protection from dangerous weather.

Lord, help me to remember that You are still in control. Help me to acknowledge Your power in the amazing weather that you bring.

Age Should Speak

age should speak,
And increased years should teach wisdom.

Job 32:7

Elihu understood the wisdom that comes with age. He patiently waited until the ones older than he had spoken. Even though he was bursting with words to say, he still waited until they were finished speaking.

People in our culture should learn from Elihu. Our culture has become extremely youth oriented. We look to the beauty and creativity of youth is worshiped. We have no time for anyone who cannot keep up with a rapid pace of change. We have no respect for wisdom gained through years of life. Instead, we honor knowledge from college.

Lord, help me to respect the older people around me. Help me to respect their hard-earned wisdom. Help me to be patient with their slower pace of life. Help me to be willing to take time to listen and learn from them.

The Words of Job Are Ended

The words of Job are ended.

Job 31:40

Job was a wise man. He knew when to stop talking. He spend quite a bit of time defending himself. But eventually he stopped. He had spoken his piece, and now he was finished. Further debate wouldn't change the minds of his friends. Rehashing it further wouldn't make them change their minds. It would only serve to further separate their friendship.

We should be like Job and realize when it's time to end our words. Sometimes we believe that we can convince people to think like us if we just explain it better, but often that is not the case. We just need to realize that some people will not agree with us even when we know that we believe the truth. More explaining and convincing can actually serve to further cement their beliefs and cut off future opportunities to show them the truth.

Lord, help me to know when to end my words. Help me to know when to value relationships over speaking the truth. Help me to be willing to speak when I should speak and to be quiet when I should be.

Did not He who made me in the womb make him?

"Did not He who made me in the womb make him?"

Job 31:15

Job was speaking about his slaves and how he had treated them fairly. He understand that God made both him and his slaves. He was no greater than they were. It seems that he understood a concept that I struggle to remember. He realized that he had nothing that wasn't given to him. God had placed him in a position of power and wealth, and God could just as easily take that position away.

I tend to look down on people around me. He is lazy. She has an addiction. He can't manage his money. She had marital issues. He doesn't know how to train his children. He can't run a business. She doesn't take responsibility for her actions. Maybe some of these things are true, but that doesn't make me any better than they are. God created us equal. He loves each of us alike. His love is unconditional. All the things I do don't "impress" God. I can't make Him love me more by anything I do. He doesn't love anyone less because of how they've ruined their lives and disobeyed Him. God wants to save that homeless pot-smoking man on the street just as much as He wanted to save me. That man who has wrecked his life with prostitutes and gambling is just as valuable to God as I am.

Lord, help me to understand the value of every human being. Help me to understand Your unconditional love. Help me to love everyone with no exception. Help me to realize that I am no better than anyone else. Help me to be willing to condescend to men of low estate because I am in no way better than they are. Lord, help me to realize that I need Your saving power just as much as the worst of sinners. Thank You for saving me from my sins and from my self-righteousness. Help me to only make my boast in You because You are everything to me.

Can Men Win the Battle with Lust?

"I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?"

 Job 31:1

 If only more men would do this! Our culture is saturated with lust. Many men refuse to make this covenant with their eyes. They allow lust to dominate their lives, their thoughts and their jokes. Scars and wounds from their childhood and from past relationships only make this worse. They believe that it's normal and as long as they keep their actions in check, it doesn't matter. The bad news is that it's nearly impossible to think lustful thoughts without committing lustful actions. Even if men are able to keep an iron-fisted control over their actions, lust still destroys their marriages. Even pastors and other Christian men seem to be caught in affairs and illicit relationships too.

Is it hopeless? Can we win? Yes, I believe that this is not a lost battle. How can we do it: self-help books, iron self-discipline, never leaving the house, cutting off all connection with the outside world? Some of these things may help, but they are not the solution. In many cases, they are the reason that so many well-intentioned men fall. First of all, we nee to realize that the bait of lust that Satan holds in front of us is a lie. It doesn't deliver on it's promise. Lust can never be satisfied. It will take us on an addicts journey to find that elusive high. Satan doesn't play fair. He promises but doesn't fulfill. He will ruin us and then drop us in the mud. He will take us deeper into sin than we ever imagined we would go.

Secondly, we must realize that our own hearts are the root of the problem. The desire begins in us. No amount of self-discipline will ever change that. Only when we surrender our entire lives to the complete control of Holy Spirit, can we deal with the root cause. This is not something we do one time at conversion. Instead, it is a daily walk. We need to continually crucify our desires and give them over to God.

God, I thank You for having given us the power to win the battle with lust. I thank You for Holy Spirit that can control our desires. Again today, I want to surrender my heart to You. I want to allow You to remove any lustful desires from my heart. I want You to help me relate to all women in a respectful, Christian way. I want to be able to say as Job did that I do not look lustfully at anyone. Lord help me to be an example in this. I pray for the many Christian men who struggle with this. I pray that You would help them to find victory every day. Amen.

A Companion of Ostriches

"I have become a brother to jackals And a companion of ostriches." Job 30:29 Job felt as if he was all alone. His friends didn't believe him. He said that people whose fathers he would not have disdained to keep with his dogs now mocked him. His wife wasn't supporting him. His children had died. His servants were gone. Even God seemed far away and hadn't yet answered him. Have you ever felt like Job. No one understands. God seems distant. The people you trusted aren't there for you. We all experience low times in life. Everyone goes through times that are difficult and unpleasant. The devil wants us to believe that we are all alone. He would have us think that we are on a level with jackals and ostriches. He wants us to forget that we are chosen by God to be saved. He doesn't want us to remember that we are loved by God. God has something else to say to us, 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' God want us to have hope. He doesn't want us to despair. He wants to raise us up from the level of ostriches to brothers and sisters of Jesus. We are God's special children. We get to split God's inheritance with Jesus! Lord, thank You for loving us so much. I pray that You would help me to be a gracious, humble recipient of all Your gifts and Your amazing love. I am unworthy, but through Jesus, I can be Your son and inherit all the goodness that You have in heaven. Help me to live as Your son. Help me to share Your amazing love with those around me. Help me not to live on a level with jackals.

Wishing for the Past

2 "Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; 3 When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; 4 As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;" Job 29 Sometimes we all wish that things could be as they were in the past. Some people say that life was simpler. Some people say that they had fewer problems. Some people have made bad choices and now they need to live with those choices. No matter where we are now, there are probably some things in the past that are better than they are now. However, dwelling on these things does very little good. We can't bring the past back by wishing. We can't undo the wrong choices we made. But, there's hope. If we look forward and plan for the future, we can often improve our lot. We can make intentional decisions to simplify our lives. We can plan ahead to avoid problems like the ones we are facing now. We can begin making better choices from now on. There are many things in life that we cannot change. Really we can only change ourselves, and changing our response to the things around us can make a world of difference. Lord, help me not to pine for the past. Help me to appreciate Your blessings now and in the past. Help me to learn lessons from the past and apply them to my life now. Help me to have a forward look. Help me to live with a long-range view in mind. Help me to keep eternity in view even when things in the here and now loom so large.

The Fear of the Lord Is Wisdom

the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding. Job 28:28 Knowledge is growing at an unprecedented rate today. Research, science and technology move forward at a relentless pace. Most of what is discovered today is beyond the comprehension of the average person. Yet, I feel that we are moving backwards in wisdom. As a culture, we have rejected God, the source of wisdom. We have allowed the influence of evil spirits into our culture, and they are tearing at the fabric of our society. We understand atoms and nano particles, but we are losing our understanding of relationships, family and marriage. We've built the internet with all its amazing capabilities. Yet, we no longer understand sound financial principles. Lord, help us and our society to return to You. Forgive us for rejecting You. Help us to understand that true wisdom comes only from You. Help us to realize that knowledge can never replace wisdom. Help us to live for You and seek You.

Where Can Wisdom Be Found?

"But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? "Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. Job 29:12 Job had just listed all the ways that men look for for gold, silver and precious stones. He mentioned how they dig mines to look for treasure. Yet, wisdom is even more difficult to find. It only comes from God, the Source of all good things. Many people seek for wisdom. Yet, they search in vain when they do not go to God. Lord, help me to seek Your true wisdom. Help me not to live my life by my own reasoning. Instead, help me to rely on Your Spirit to guide me and give me wisdom. Help me to realize that living in my own strength is only bound to fail, but living for You, I cannot fail.

Riches Make Wings

"He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it is no longer." Job 27:19 Job was speaking about wicked people and how they accumulate wealth. They go to bed wealthy and wake up poor. Accumulating wealth does them no good. I know that I need to learn this concept better. I need to remember that everything I have is God's and He has given it to me to use for His glory. Lord, help me to live in service to You. Help me to remember that I don't have anything that hasn't been given to me.

What Is the Hope of the Godless?

what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life? Job 27:8 Job was in despair. He just said, "As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul." Yet, he understood that God was his only help. Lord, help me to rely only on You. Help me to understand that, without You, I am nothing. Help me to rely on strength and enabling from Your Holy Spirit so that when You require my life, I will have lived it all for You.

Hold Fast Righteousness

"I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go." Job 27:6 Job's friends had been accusing him of sinning. They told him that God would not be punishing him like this if he had not sinned, but job explained to them that he had held to his righteousness tenaciously. He had remained faithful to God even in these very trying circumstances. He blessed God after he had lost most of his family and earthly possessions. How could he do that? I believe that he had a deep love for and trust in God that didn't depend on what he got from God. We, also, must be like Job. Our trust in God must be unshakable, and founded on our love for God. The Holy Spirit will enable us to stand firm even when life doesn't go as we'd like it to. Lord, help me to hold fast to my righteousness. Help me to trust You through thick and thin. Help me to serve You no matter what I face. Thank You that we can know that You will never fail us.

God, Depart From Us

They said to God, 'Depart from us!' Job 22:17 This is what so many people today are saying. They want nothing to do with God. They feel that they are self-made and have no need of God. They believe that absolutes are a vestige of primitive times. Right and wrong are relative to the situation and a hindrance to their fun. As a result of these beliefs, our society is rotting. Families are falling apart. Many people don't care about each other any more. These beliefs have far reaching effects. Lord, save us from godlessness. Help us to remember how much You have done for us and how much we need You. Help us to depend on You and follow Your plan for our lives.

My Redeemer Lives

me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Job 19:25 Job had been through all kinds difficulty. Yet, he believed and understood that God would redeem. May we have this same confidence. Lord, thank You that we can have firm confidence that You have redeemed us.

Sorry Comforters Are You All

Sorry comforters are you all. Job 16:2 Have you ever felt that all your friends are sorry comforters? None of them understand. They are more critical than helpful. Their "helpful" comments sting and hurt. I think we've all been there at one time or another. That is when God wants to be very near to us. He wants to be our loving Father and help us through our time of difficulty. Lord, Thank You that You are always there for us. Thank You that we can a.ways trust You and that You will never forsake us even when everyone seems to be against us.

God Longs for Us

You [God] will long for the work of Your hands. Job 14:15 We are the work of God's hands. He has made us each with tender love for a special purpose. In the previous verses, Job was speaking about death, and I believe that Job is talking about when God calls us home to heaven and resurrection from the dead. I see a beautiful picture of God longing to have closer communion with us. So, he calls us to be at home in heaven with Him. Lord, thank You for Your love for us. Thank You for creating us. I look forward to when You long for me and call me home to heaven. Help me to live out Your plan for me here on earth so that I am ready when You call.

You Are the People

Then Job responded, “Truly then you are the people, And with you wisdom will die!"

Job 12:1

Job was speaking in satire to his friends who thought that they knew everything. They claimed to know that Job had sinned. They told him. That righteous people don't suffer. Job made this stinging comment to remind them that they were not always right and maybe they weren't seeing this situation correctly.

We also need to remember that we are not the only people with wisdom. Sometimes, other people may have a better perspective than we do. We should state our opinions humbly and be willing to admit when we are wrong.

Lord, help me to be willing to accept the criticism or correction of other people. Help me to realize that wisdom will not die with me. Help me to be humble and live as a servant to you and those around me.