Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. Job 2:11 WEBRighteous men have always been hard to find. Yes, under the new covenant we have forgiveness and our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus after we have accepted Him as our Lord, but it was not always like that. Thank God that we live in a time of grace.
God would have spared Jerusalem if He could have found a single righteous person living there (Jeremiah 5:1). He told Abraham that He would spare Sodom if he could find ten, but He could not (Genesis 18:32).
Job was a righteous man. God Himself pointed it out and praised Job: 'Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?' (Job 1:8).
The cynical satan could not believe that this was true. Was there really a man that walked the straight and narrow, that could not be bribed, that did not hide dark secrets. If there was, he had never met them.
Cynicism: A studied disbelief. An inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self interest. Cynics begin to look inward at their own malice and believe that everyone else, is just like them. The devil believed that everyone else was just like him, because most of them were. After a dispute over Job's righteousness, God allowed Job to be tested by satan, proven, to see if he actually measured up.
Job soon went through a terrible trial. Though he was the wealthiest in the land, he lost it all In one day. Different bands of raiders took his 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, and they killed his servants. A strong wind blew the house down on top of his ten children and killed them. He lost his seven sons and his three daughters in one day.
Job fell down on the ground and worshipped God saying: 'Naked I came into this world, and naked I will leave it. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord' (Job 1:21). In all of this, Job did not sin. Amazing faith.
Three of Job's friends came to comfort him and one by one they gave long-winded speeches, explaining that Job was suffering because of the sin in his life. They believed that Job was living under God's judgment, when really God was proud of Job. In Job 42:7, God showed up in a whirlwind and set things straight.
'And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before' (Job 42:10).
Job came out of the test with double everything: 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He also had seven more sons and three more daughters.' (Job 42:12). His children were doubled as well for the first were not gone, but living safely with the Lord. What a strange way to bless someone. Job went through trouble, and then everything that he had lost was returned double.
When Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, the disciples asked who then can be saved? It was thought that wealth and blessing were God's stamp of approval. While it is safe to say that a good life can stem from good choices, and a bad life can be a result of bad choices, many bad circumstances have nothing to do with the choices that were made. Saint Paul was considered a righteous man that wrote a lot of the New Testament, yet he wrote:
'Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often. Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep. I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers; in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness. (2 Corinthians 11:25).
I know some really good people who are going through some really bad times. Today remember that if things are going great for you that it is not necessarily a sign of God's approval, and if things are going awful, that it is not necessarily a sign of God's judgement. Stay the course for you can be right in the middle of God's will and in the worst trial of your life.
God was proud of Job and his hellish circumstances came because he had done something right, not as a form of discipline or correction. They say that God gives His toughest battles to His strongest warriors. What if the personal hell that you are living through is because you were actually doing something right. What if God is not punishing you, but is instead proud of you. Stay the course and be on your best behavior.
Prayer: Heavenly Father I thank You for everything that You have done for me. I know that this life is not about me, but about You. Naked I came into this world, and naked I will leave it. Help me to see the big picture while I am here and not get lost in my own problems. Please forgive me of my sins and lead me into all that You have for me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.Note: Good morning! Don''t forget that tonight is "fall back" time for those in Daylight Savings regions. ALSO, just a reminder that our RHM Live Saturday service is happening tonight at 4pm EST! We will be continuing our interactive Bible Study with Luke Chapter Nine. The Bible Study includes a detailed video teaching (which you can also read later) and we also provide an interactive you can take to test your knowledge during the week. To find out more or join us this afternoon, go to this page:
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Focus my eyes on you Oh Lord, focus my eyes on you
Amen
Oh God. Amen.
Thank you Jesus,you are wonderful.I love and worship you. Amen
Amen!! Alleluia!! Amen!!
Amen!
One day at a time looking ahead 24 hours at a time trusting HIM - being obedient
Amen, thank you Lord
Amen!
Dear Father, thank You for all Your blessings. Help me understand that You are always with me in good and bad times, in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Wonderful teaching!
Amen thank you for another great devotional pastor WOW !
Ate every word of your prayer, Pastor, thank you. All so true in the teaching this devotion/scripture gives out in truth. I remember someone givin me a song title by Twila Paris, called...The Warrior is a Child. I cried threw it all. Felt so understood...what a gift I received. For I believe as the Holy Spirit inspired Twilla to write that song then so is Holy Spirit's plan was reach many. To be understood when feeling not is a beautiful gift given. Only God gives such gifts. As the words read in scripture say about naked I came in this world and naked I leave is soo basic fact God reminds. Naked on to the new body He has made for me and all who are His children.
Amen!
Thank you so much for this message, Pastor Dion! It really spoke to me, and gave me understanding! Thank you for being my teacher and for speaking the word of the Lord!!!
Prayer: Heavenly Father I thank You for everything that You have done for me. I know that this life is not about me, but about You. Naked I came into this world, and naked I will leave it. Help me to see the big picture while I am here and not get lost in my own problems. Please forgive me of my sins and lead me into all that You have for me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen <3
Job, was a really good book to read and it was long. When my mother had ovarian cancer and we watched her suffer for 16 months it was killing me. I loved her so much but knew her pain from the cancer was really bad and she never took anything for it until she could not take the pain anymore. That's when I started reading the book of Job, and my mother was happy to see that I was turning to God. Reading Job, got me through a lot and was when I started making changes in my life, with the Lord, and started to draw closer after reading the book of Job. I thank you Father, for bringing me closer to you when I started taking my time with you. Amen. <3
Thank you Pastor for you devotion that makes me always go back to what make me keep going for more of God's Word. Amen :-)
Thank you Pastor! I also enjoy the point that the devil can do nothing to any of God's believers unless he grants it, and he won't grant it unless it's in our best interest. Each time God had to give the devil permission for him to do anything to him or his possessions. The devil said, "Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?" Truly, our God is a protector in those that trust in him!
Amen, in Jesus name.
Amen. Praise God! Thanks Pastor Todd! Heavenly Father I thank You for everything that You have done for me. I know that this life is not about me, but about You. Naked I came into this world, and naked I will leave it. Help me to see the big picture while I am here and not get lost in my own problems. Please forgive me of my sins and lead me into all that You have for me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Beautiful, meaningful prayer. Thank you.
Amen
Amen, I was weak , but now i"m strong. Thank you Jesus.