KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, January 09, 2018
Chapters: Job 20-23
Message: Good To Be Humble
Hello My Friend,
All morning these words have been popping in my head, abased, abound, humble, and humility. The word abase means to reduce ourselves to a low state, to be humble, which means to not think of ourselves as all high and mighty. In other words, if we want to be blessed by God we are to let go of our pride, more important the arrogance of pride, and submit to His will for our lives. The word abound means to have or possess in great quantities, so, if we are abased then God will abound us, right? Yes, and no. If there is one thing I have learned this past decade it is that we do about with God, but He also takes, and more often than we realize, it is not sin that brings Him to take, rather it is to remind us that it is good to be humble. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” – Philippians 4:11-13.
“both to abound and to suffer need.” God has never had a problem with His people having great wealth, in fact, there are many very wealthy evangelists around today, and I do not mean the Joel Osteen’s of the world, who are not humble at all, I mean the ones whom have given their all to God, and He in return blesses them with wealth. Job was one of them, he became very wealthy because he gave his all to God. However, God allowed the devil to test his faith, and in one day everything he possessed was taken away from him, and shortly after his health also. Now, he is laying there, feeling all alone, that even God had left him there to deal with all this alone while the only three people who would talk to him was attacking him. Job does not want sympathy or handouts, he just wants answers. Zophar speaks again.
“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? That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.” – Job 20:1-5,18,29.
“This is the portion of a wicked man from God,” Zophar is sure Job is reaping what he has sown for so long, that he just had to be this wicked man who was now being exposed for the hypocrite he is, and God is finally giving him what he deserved. He, like many, make false assumptions that God blesses one based on merit, that good things only happen to people who are doing good things and bad things happen only to people who are doing bad things. Of course, this is not how God works at all, otherwise we would all be in big trouble. Job thinks about what he said, wondering why the wicked do have their moment, when they can care less about God.
“But Job answered and said, 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. 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?” – Job 21:1,4,7-9,14-15.
“neither is the rod of God upon them.” Job has the same questions we all do from time to time when we see the wicked, and even other Christians living sinfully prospering. 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, but then Job realizes something else, the wicked too will face God.
“Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me. For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked? 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. Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done? Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.” – Job 21:27-32.
“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 arrogant they think they do not need God. The truth is, it is not God who is giving them all these things, it is Satan, he will do anything to keep people from turning to Christ. And all of those rich, wannabe Christians who claim they know Christ as their Saviour, but are reaping the benefits of Satan’s profits will be judged also, and they will be judged by Jesus Himself. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” – Revelation 20:12.
Let me tell you, people will notice our afflictions and they talk about them, often making false judgments. We too have done the same thing, I caught myself thinking someone was suffering because of what they were doing. Judgment does begin at the house of God, but we must also remember that not all suffering is a result of sin. We must also be careful not to boast about those who God is judging because of their sin or question their salvation because they are living in sin. 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 who chooses to live in sin. You see, it does not matter what time we were here on earth, every person chooses to walk with God knows they will stand before Him in judgment, and if they just humbled themselves before Him, and repent then they would be saved. Eliphaz speaks again, telling Job to repent, and God will stop His judgment.
“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? 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 22:1-3,21-23.
“thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” Iniquity; 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 give us the strength to endure it until He brings us home. And this is exactly what Job realizes. “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.” – Job 23:1-6.
“No; but he would put strength in me.” How incredible is it to realize that Jesus gives us the strength to endure the worse affliction? Sometimes God will never remove the pain, but will give us the strength to endure it, and use that pain to not only bring glory to Him, but salvation to others through our testimony. Job continues, he may not see God, but He knows the way he takes. “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. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.” – Job 23:8-10,14.
“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 perfect because we have the perfect one in us as as long as God sees Him we are perfect. With that said, we do have to make sure that we are living a humble life, one that reflects Christ, and not our own achievements. Some of the most prosperous men and women are not the wealthy, rather those who live day by day their daily bread, it is not wealth that determines our value, rather Jesus. “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Matthew 6:31-33.
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 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. Lord, keep me humble, I know how to abase, and to abound, but am also learning to be content where You have me right now. 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 I were not walking with You daily. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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