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. 

 Job 4-5  Eliphaz, Job's friend, is the first to speak to Job and give him his point of view. He gives us some things to think about here.. 

Verses 1-6  Eliphaz reminds Job of the many times he admonished, strengthened, and helped other people. Then he asks, "But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed." 

Well, that touches a nerve, doesn't it? Many people are just like that.  We don't mind helping or correcting someone else.. but when the shoe is on the other foot.. well we don't appreciate that at all.  

Eliphaz has a point... "Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty." (5:17)  David wrote in Psalms 141:5 "Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; it is oil to my head; do not let my head refuse it.. "   In other words.. when I am wrong and someone points it out.. let me listen and not become defensive and stubborn.  Let me accept God's discipline with humble repentance. 

Even though this is not Job's problem.. it is still a truth that we can learn from. 

Father in heaven,  we do not want to be blind to our own sinfulness.  Holy Spirit, bring Your light and shine it into our hearts.. Search us and reveal the attitudes and assumptions that we hold about our own lives that are not pleasing to You. Give us a spirit of repentance. Forgive us, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Job 3  This chapter is called "Job's Lament" in my Bible.  Job pours out his heart.. to God, to his friends, to his wife... to anyone who will listen.  It boils down to this.. Job wishes that he had never been born.  He is so miserable and heart-broken that death is preferable over life. 

We see some of Job's beliefs about death in these verses... 

v13 -"For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest."

v14-19 Kings, counselors, princes, and even the wicked, the prisoner, or the slave.. "The small and the great are there.. "

Death in Job's thinking is a place of rest and a place where anyone and everyone is equally comfortable. We know that this is not Truth. We know that there is only quiet and rest for those who belong to Jesus. We know that all who die will face the judgement seat.  Yet, we see that Job's philosophy is widely accepted in our own days.  Millions of people who do not believe in God still believe that death is preferable to life.. that they will find rest.. that they will be happy.  They don't know that God sees them and knows them and that He will judge us each according to our deeds. ( Matthew 16:27) They don't know that unbelief will result in eternal death. 

"Why is light given to him who suffers, and life to the bitter of soul; who long for death but there is none.." v20-21  Job asks the question that is still asked all these centuries later.. why is there suffering? "I am not at ease, nor and I quiet, and I am not at rest, but turmoil comes."  Job concludes. 

We know that Job will find out later that God was not finished with him yet.  He could not see it.. but there was a purpose for his suffering and there was a day of restoration coming.  Job had not lost his faith, but he had lost his hope. This is what God would restore in him eventually.. and it would begin with this question.. "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" (38:4) God would change  Job's focus from himself to His Lord. 

Our hope is in the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.  When we are suffering, when we are discouraged, or when we start wondering why we are still among the living.. we need to go back to the basics.. our God, our Creator, Who is a great and mighty God. We need to change our focus from ourselves to Him!  His purposes will be accomplished and we can trust Him.  Like Job, may our response be, "Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee? I lay my hand on my mouth." (40:4)

Great is our God and greatly to be praised!

Father, turn our eyes and our hearts back to Yourself. Thank You for the Word of Life that reminds us that our lives are in Your Hands and that You love us with an everlasting love.. even if we  are suffering, or despondent, or heart-broken.  Help us to learn from Job and to keep our hope on the certainty of Your grace, power, and sovereignty.  Thank You. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. 

 Job 2  Again, the Lord focuses on Job as he questions Satan.  "Have you considered My servant Job?... And he still holds fast his integrity.."  

Satan asks and is granted the permission to test Job further, this time a physical disease. "Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head." (v7)  And, even when Job's wife questions his integrity.. Job keeps his faith.. "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?"

What about us?  What if all we had was taken away? What if we lost all our children to a disastrous storm? What if we became so sick that death would seem an improvement?  What if our spouses told us to give up?  What if?   Would we keep trusting our Lord? Would we keep worshiping? Would we have the integrity that Job had?  

This word "integrity" comes from the Hebrew word [tummah] - with the definition of innocence.  It indicates completeness, simplicity, and uprightness.  God Himself called Job "a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil."  He was a man complete in his faith. 

When Job's friends come to him, their intentions are honorable.  Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar come to comfort Job.  When they see him, they weep for him.  They join him with torn robes and dust on their heads. They sit down with him and stay with him for 7 days, "no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great." All these actions speak of love and friendship.  We can learn from this. 

Father in heaven, we bow before You to confess our lack of integrity.  We need You.  We often fail to have the kind of faith that Job exhibited.  But, You have told us that You will make us whole. We are being made complete in Jesus Christ, our Sanctifier. You are faithful and You will do it. You have told us that the testing of our faith produces endurance.  Let it be so in us.  Our problems are so petty compared to Job's.  May we learn from his example how to  accept good and adversity from Your hand.. knowing that Your grace is sufficient for us.  Thank You for the grace and mercy that comes from You.  Great is Your faithfulness each and every day. Amen!

 Job 1 God loved Job.  He knew Job and testified of Job's character " For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God, and turning away from evil.."  But, God still allowed Job to suffer. 

Job lost everything.  His wealth, his family, and later his health. But, he did not lose his faith. "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

This is a hard book to read. The accusations and arguments of Job's friends.. the painful pleas of Job himself...  These are words that are recorded in Scripture.. which Paul tells Timothy  "All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training.. "  So, what is it that God wants to say through Job's story?

Suffering comes.. but it does not mean that God is not in control.  Peter wrote to remind us of Who God is so that we will live accordingly.  Since all Scripture has this purpose then, we need to learn what Job has to teach us. 

So, the first thing that we can gain from Job is that he grieved.. "Then Job arose, tore his robe and shaved his head and he fell to the ground and worshiped."  Job loved his children. He offered burnt offerings and sacrifices for them in case they had sinned.  His grief was all consuming.  Yet, even in this depth of suffering.. Job worshiped God. 

Father, we have not suffered such depths of grief as Job did.. but, if that day comes, we ask that You would give us the faith to worship in the midst of our grief.  Teach us through Your word today Lord.  Show us Your love and power and grace, that we would see You more clearly and worship You always. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 

 II Peter 3:10-18  "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.. "  Because God is sovereign.. because He has declared it.. because we have come to know that there is a judgement coming and that the Lord is being patient because of His desire that no one should perish.... since all these things are true.. Peter asks, "what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.. "

Peter tells us to look for and hasten "the coming of the day of God.. "  because He has promised  "new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells."  We are thankful that God is patient so that we can see more people saved, but we look forward to the day when Christ will return, the old will pass away and the new will come!  "O that will be glory to me"!!!  We do pray for that joyous day when "righteousness" is the atmosphere that we will live in. 

"Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless."  There is that word "diligent" again..  Peter started out this letter with that exhortation, telling us to be diligent in our faith, in moral excellence, in knowledge, in self-control, in perseverance, in godliness, in kindness, and in love.  He told us to be diligent "to make certain about His calling and choosing you.. " by practicing these things.  While we look forward to that day.. we must stay "on guard."

Peter also exhorted us to remember.. remember the Scripture, remember the sovereignty and power of our Creator, and to remember that there is a day coming when God will bring a final judgement on this world and all who dwell here.  ".. knowing this beforehand, be on your guard.. " Peter writes.  Stay steadfast. Grow in "the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 

"To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen"

Father in heaven, we thank You for Your patient and steadfast love. Thank You for the Word of Truth. Thank You for our Savior and King, Jesus Christ, Your Beloved Son.  Holy Spirit, lead us in the diligent pursuit of godliness and grace. Teach us more about Jesus. Fill us with His love.  Teach us how to love Him more and more. Teach us to keep our eyes fixed on Him so that we will be ready for the day of His return. We ask this in His Precious Name. Amen. 

 II Peter 3;1-9  Peter says that he wrote this letter to stir "up your sincere mind by way of reminder.."  He exhorts us to remember what the prophets wrote beforehand and what Jesus said and the apostles taught. One of those vital truths is that Jesus is coming again!

Some unbelievers were mocking those who believed in the return of Jesus.. and that is still true today.  "Where is the promise of His coming?"  Nothing has happened in 2000 years.. or since "the beginning of creation".. they might say. But, Peter reminds us, that definitely does not mean that He isn't coming!

First of all, we need to remember that God is the Creator... "by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed being flooded with water."  God was and is in control.. He chose to make the world just like it is and He chose to judge the sinfulness of mankind by sending the flood.  This is a fundamental truth. We serve a Mighty God who is transcendent over all of His creation.  He does not answer to us, but we answer to Him!

Secondly, "the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men."   Just as the first thing happened.. the second will.  Peter wants us, his readers, to remember this.. take it seriously.. and live accordingly.. God said it and it will be so. It is a reality that, if we take seriously, will effect.. well.. everything! 

Thirdly, Peter reminds us that God doesn't view things the way we do.. time is in His Hands. "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."  Time is God's creation.  It doesn't not affect Him.  It does not worry Him. It does not rush Him.  He has been known to turn back time and to make time stand still!  Moreover, we are reminded too, that our times are in His Hands.  He knew our whole life before we were even conceived!  Think about that!

"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (v9)

O Hallelujah! Thank You Father, for You are merciful and compassionate, and Your love is everlasting. Thank You for patiently waiting for us to come to repentance and find salvation in Jesus Christ, our gracious Savior.  Keep our minds fixed.. stayed.. steadfast.. in Christ.  Holy Spirit, strengthen our faith, increase our perseverance, and fill us with this great Love that flows from our God and Father, and through Jesus Christ, our King. As we read and believe Your Word, Lord, help us to live holy lives and to share the gospel before the day of judgement comes, so that many more will not perish, but come to repentance also. We ask this in the Name of Jesus.  Amen.