Job 4:7-11  Eliphaz, Job's friend, has another point to make.  "Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?" 

Was this true of Job?  Was he trusting in himself.. his fear.. his integrity?  Is this true of us?  Do we trust in our own selves.. is our confidence in our own integrity and  faith?  Did Job rest.. and do we rest.. in our self - righteousness?  It is a fair question. 

Eliphaz gives his opinion, based on his own experiences... 

"Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?"  Do the innocent get punished? Are the righteous destroyed?  Eliphaz is trying to make the point that only the wicked perish, but we know that this is not true.  Innocent people are often falsely accused and even killed... in fact, Jesus Christ was... for us!

"According to what I have seen... " Eliphaz emphasized, "those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble harvest it."   O, if that were so!  Eliphaz wants it to be so.. that God would punish the wicked and that would be the end of sin. We often want that too.. don't we?

But, the ways of God are higher than ours and His thoughts greater than ours. He has allowed the wicked to succeed and the righteous to fail.  The psalmist wrote about this in Psalm 73, "But, as for me I lost my balance, my feet nearly slipped, when I grew envious of the arrogant and saw how the wicked prosper.  For when their death comes, it is painless; and meanwhile their bodies are healthy; they don't have ordinary people's troubles, they aren't plagued like others....Yes, this is what the wicked are like; those free of misfortune keep increasing their wealth. "  

The psalmist's complaint leads him to think that  his devotion to the Lord meant nothing.."It's all for nothing that I've kept my heart clean and washed my hands, staying free of guilt; for all day long I am plagued; my punishment comes every morning." That is until.. " I went into the sanctuaries of God and grasped what their destiny would be.. "  He confesses his lack of understanding and turns back to the Lord.. ""Whom do I have in heaven but You? And with you, I lack nothing on earth. My mind and body may fail; but God is the rock for my mind and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; ... But for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made Adonai Elohim my refuge, so that I can tell of all your works."  ( Psalm 73: 2-5,12-14;17;25-26;  CJB) 

Father in heaven, we know that our understanding is so limited and that You know everything.  Help us to remember again that You are Sovereign and that You are good. We can trust You with our lives and know that You are our Rock and our portion forever.  May we trust in You alone.. not in our own works, but on the work that Jesus Christ finished on the cross of calvary. Help us to not be discouraged by what the wicked in this world do.. but to pray for repentance and salvation.. for they are on the path to destruction.   Holy Spirit, strengthen us to love You and to love even our enemies, for this is the commandment of our Savior and King. In His name we pray. Amen.