KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Chapters: Job 24-27
Message: When You Cannot See God
Hello My Friend,
In this life we go through so many things, some of us more than others, sometimes for no reason at all. The more and longer we are afflicted the harder it is to see God in the midst of our lives. And this is why so many people walk away from God, if they cannot see Him they give up on Him. Let me tell you, God is always with you, in fact, when you cannot see Him, that is when He is doing His best work in us. For years I struggled while serving God only to discover one day that God was not the one keeping things from me, I was because I gave up on Him. You see, the longer we take trying to fix our problems without seeking God’s help the more we will be afflicted, and the less we will see God. God does this to bring us back to our dependence upon Him. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6.
“and lean not unto thine own understanding.” When you think about the things that Job speaks about you get a sense that things were not much different back then from what they are today. No one really had a zeal for God, and those who did were faced with opposition, which really explains why God chose Abraham, someone who would father one nation that would be dedicated to God, at least for a little while. Job is beside himself at this point, how the wicked just ignore God and be blessed while he is having to deal with all this and no explanation whatsoever, but he did know one thing, they too will face God, and it will not be pretty.
“Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days? Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof. They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge. They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together. Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways. They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn. And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?” – Job 24:1-4,23-25.
“yet his eyes are upon their ways.” God knows all and sees all, but that does not mean He pays attention to all of us. Think about it, would you pay any mind to someone who is constantly criticizing you, wants nothing to do with you, and in fact, is against everything you stand for? They may be exalted for a while, but they too will face Jesus, but the judgment is far worse than anything we whom are saved will receive. Oh, and if you are saved and living wickedly your judgment comes well before you face Jesus. “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” – II Peter 2:20-21.
I do not know how long Job’s friends sat with him, but I imagine it seemed like a lifetime to Job as Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad constantly criticized every word he spoke to defend himself. Bildad continues, questioning Job when he said that he knew he would be justified before God. “Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise? How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” – Job 25:1-4.
“How then can man be justified with God?” Justified; To pardon and clear from guilt. There is only one way to be justified before God, Jesus Christ. While the people of Old Testament times never even seen nor heard of the name Jesus, they knew that the only way to salvation was the Lord. “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.” – Psalm 116:12-13.
Although Job felt like God had taken away his understanding of what was going on and that his soul was being tormented he knew that the Spirit of God was in him. Job was not about to let any of these men make him believe otherwise. “But Job answered and said, How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength? How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee? Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof. Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?” – Job 26:1-6,13-14.
“but how little a portion is heard of him?” God’s judgments and blessings are seen everyday, but rarely is He given credit for them, in fact, I have had people look at me as if I were crazy when I say that all the natural disasters and even the unnatural disasters are God’s judgments. If God judged Israel the way He did He will judge every nation that goes against Him, especially those by whom it was founded. Think about America, it was just like Canaan, and it was truly blessed when the people made God their King, but it is steadily declining they more they turn their backs on Him. Fires, mudslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorist attacks, these are all warnings to repent or else face judgment. “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” – Revelation 2:5.
In this life we see some amazing things, and God gives us the talents to do some incredible things, but there are some things on earth that cannot be explained, things that only by faith can we understand. Job was never as concerned about knowing the answer to why he was struggling, it was about knowing that God was in His life.
“Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.” – Job 27:1-6.
“till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.” While Job did not understand why he was being afflicted, he was not about to let these men make him think that he was in the wrong, he knew that he would be justified before God. No, he did not think that he was perfect and never sinned, but he did think that his God knew the steps that he took, and was done trying to justify himself before his friends. We have no one to explain ourselves to except God, and He definitely knows the way that we take, each and every one of us, if anyone is a liar and hypocrite, Jesus will let you know it too. “When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” – Luke 13:25-27.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.” – Job 27:15-17.
Today’s Prayer: God, When I am facing affliction it feels like I am all alone and everyone is on my case about something. It is a big challenge to find You in the midst of affliction, but I know You always with me and that Your hand never leaves mine. Lord, give me Your power to endure all affliction, give me the wisdom to know how to handle the situations that pop up, and fill me Your mercy and grace so that I never lose hope of a blessed end to them, with Your glory shining through. I ask these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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