KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, January 09, 2018
Chapters: Job 20-23
Message: He Knows The Way I Take
Hello My Friend,
The longer you walk with Christ the more you notice just how wicked the world is, in fact, things you once found pleasure in actually become disgusting to you. We all grow in Christ at different levels, some of us take longer to let go of the things of the world, and that is okay because God is good with progress. God knows the way we take, and if we are truly saved and walking with Christ He will continually bless us as we allow Him to work in and through us, removing the wicked things and replacing them with Godly things. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” – II Peter 1:3-4.
Yesterday I worked a very long day, literally spent eight hours on my feet without a break, my leg, which I have been having problems with for a couple of months now was throbbing, as I was leaving work I bought some medicine and pain cream, desperate to relieve the pain anyway possible. Whenever we are facing any kind of affliction we tend to go into constructive mode, searching for ways to fix the problem and make it go away quickly. When we get into constructive mode that is actually when more problems occur, as we are reading the Book of Job, one thing has come to mind, the more Job spoke out, trying to justify himself, the more his friends spoke against him. Zophar speaks out again, with some rather harsh words.
“Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste. I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer. Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.” – Job 20:1-9,29.
“That the triumphing of the wicked is short,” The longer we walk with Christ the more we learn to endure affliction as He is our strength, but even we tire of affliction and want some relief from it. Sometimes it seems the longer we walk with Him the more affliction we face because we will not succumb to the world, and if we are honest with ourselves we often wonder why some people who live wickedly are blessed while we continue to suffer. As Job responds to Zophar, he too wonders why the wicked prosper without God.
“But Job answered and said, Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations. Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on. As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled? Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens, That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.” – Job 21:1-4,7-9,14-15,29-30.
“they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.” Right now the wicked bask in the riches of the world, they care less about God because quite frankly they are so stuck on themselves they think they do not need God. It is not God who is blessing them, this is Satan, he will do anything to keep people from turning to Christ. And while they may be I their glory right now, judgment will come to them when they die. This is when they will meet Christ and He will say, depart from me, I never knew you. “But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.” – Luke 13:27-28.
Let me tell you, people will notice our afflictions and they do talk about them, often making false judgments based on what they are seeing. We too have done the same thing sometimes, I will catch myself saying that so and so is suffering because of what they did or are doing. Judgment does begin at the house of God, but we must also remember that not all suffering is a result of sin. Those who do suffer in their sin we must also be careful not to boast about it or question their faith. God knows the way we take, and whether or not we are saved, and since salvation is not based upon our own works we cannot question a persons faith by their actions. You see, it does not matter what time we were here on earth, every person chooses to walk with God knows that they will stand before Him in judgment through Christ, but that there is one way out. Eliphaz speaks again, telling Job if he just repents God will turn everything around and he will be saved.
“Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” – Job 22:1-3,15-18,21-23.
“thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” Iniquity; A particular deviation from rectitude; a sin or crime; wickedness; any act of injustice. While it is true that Christ removes our sin the second we ask Him to save us, and because we are trusting only in Him we will be saved from this judgment, it is not true that we never face any more affliction when we do. So many people get saved with the assumption that they will not have to suffer anymore. Let me tell you, as long as we live here on earth no one is exempt from suffering because that is the result of sin and part of the curse we all are under, Christ never promised an end to our pain here, but He did promise to be with us and help us endure it until He brings us home. “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” – II Corinthians 12:8-10.
“My grace is sufficient for thee:” Every step I take when I am in severe pain and tears fall from my eyes this verse plays through my head. When walking with Christ He may not always remove the affliction, but His grace does give us the strength to endure. Job may not have known why he was going through so much pain, and while he could not see God, he had no doubt that if he stood before the Lord he would be justified.
“Then Job answered and said, Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning. Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me. Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me. There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” – Job 23:1-10.
“But he knoweth the way that I take:” The longer we walk with Christ the more we wonder if the life we are living will ever come close to reflecting Jesus, but God does know the way that we take, and while it may not be perfect, it is one that leads to eternal life. We do not have to be one hundred percent perfect because we have the perfect one in us as as long as God sees Him we are perfect. While our actions ought to reflect the Son because they are what bring others to Him, it is not our works that determine our salvation, it is our faith in the One who did all the work for us. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:8-10.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.” – Job 23:6.
Today’s Prayer: God, When I am dealing with life and cannot understand the purpose of Your will, not a moment goes by that I do not feel sorrow when I complain to You about my affliction only to realize that it had nothing to do with me, other than my jumping to some conclusion that it did. You know the way that I take, and while I am not always in Your will, and know I mess up a lot, I am always faithful to You. It is Your Son in me that keeps me going, that helps me take that extra step, that gets me out of bed in the wee hours of the night, that, even when I want to give up, gives me that strength I need to rise up. Thank You for Your grace, for loving me, and never giving up on me, and for always being there when I need You, I do not even want to know where I would be if You were not walking with You daily. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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