Today’s Reading: Job 13; Job 14; Acts 17; Acts 18
Scripture: Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
I will surely defend my ways to his face.
Observation: I love Job. He is being put through the wringer, both physically and emotionally. His friends have begun to turn on him, and his wife did so long ago. He must feel abandoned by everyone and smitten by God. Yet, in the middle of his struggle, he makes this statement of faith, "though he slay me, yet will I hope in him." What great faith! And his followup comment shows his confidence in his relationship with God, even though his current situation is confusing to him, "I will surely defend my ways to his face." He knows that God is reasonable and when (not if) he appears before God, he will certainly be given an opportunity to present his case to God.
Application: Let Job be an inspiration to all of us. Job suffered so much more than most of us would ever be subjected to, yet even in the depths of his suffering, he kept his bearings regarding God. God is in charge, I am subject to Him. Job never forgot this -- I must never lose this perspective either.
Prayer: Lord, I thank You that Your ways are far beyond my ability to fathom. Help me not to worry about it when I can't figure You out. Help me to accept blessing and calamity from Your hand, with the understanding that You have in mind the bigger picture of what's best in the ultimate sense. May I always trust in You, my Savior and my God.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
1 comment:
Yes indeedy! May we al have Job's attitude of faith in God. Some would see his follow-up statement as arrogant and sinful but I agree with ou that it simply showed his confidence in his relationship to God because in other verses Job makes it clear that he knows he is a sinner and has no standing before God except for the forgiveness of God. He counts on that forgiveness, knowing that he has fulfilled the necessary sacrifices and prayers for mercy.
Post a Comment