KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, January 08, 2018
Chapters: Job 17-19
Message: My Redeemer Liveth
Hello My Friend,
I do not know if you heard the news report about the Oregon couple who was ordered by a judge to pay $135,000 to a lesbian couple because they declined to make a wedding cake for them, stating that they could not be a part of the ceremony due to their devout Christian faith. Attacks on the Christian community is on the rise and it continues to climb, all because of this politically correct nonsense. The truth is, there are a couple of spoiled brat loud mouthed babies targeting Christians in an attempt to get them to overturn their beliefs. Jesus said, “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” – Matthew 18:7-8.
“but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” The world aka, the devil, thinks it has the last laugh on Christianity, but Christians will always prevail because Christ has their back. In case you have not noticed, this is an attack on Christ, and is the devils attempt to weaken our faith and eventually turn on Him. You see, even the strongest Christian gets weak sometimes, especially when they are constantly being attacked, and even though we know Christ is with us, we can lose hope. This is the way Job felt, he could not believe the way his friends were treating him after all that he had been through, and at this point he was wondering where his hope was.
“My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me? For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them. Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite. The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister. And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.” – Job 17:1-4,8-10,14-16.
“and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.” Devout Christians will always be attacked because of this agenda to try and silence Christ all together, believe it or not, each attack makes us stronger. How? We have done no wrong, and we have Christ backing us up. Look at what Christ went through for us, He was prosecuted and died for crimes He did not commit, and yet He prevailed when He arose from the dead three days later. You see, offenses do come because the world will never accept that their behavior is corrupt and immoral. Therefore, they will never accept Christ because when they see Him they see their sin. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” – II Timothy 3:12-13.
There is some great insight into the Proverb, “Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.” – Proverb 29:30. Sometimes no matter how many times we speak or try to convince people that we have done no wrong they will never believe us so it is no point in trying to talk sense into them. Bildad speaks again, convinced that Job is sinning still, and even suggests that he does not know God.
“Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak. Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight? He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place? He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings. They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.” – Job 18:1-4,18-21.
“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,” You see, the world thinks they know God, they truly believe that if we are suffering we are the ones doing wrong. People often make the assumption that because you are suffering you must be doing something wrong because God would never make the righteous suffer. While God promised to give us salvation He did not promise that every day would be pain free. Dealing with prosecution, sickness, pain, or death does not mean we do not know God or that He is punishing us for some wrong we have done, it merely means we have strong faith in God. Of course, we sin, and need to confess our sins daily because quite frankly, our minds and mouths cause more trouble than our hands, but God knows who are His, He will never put His Light out of anyone who receives His Son. So, the next time someone accuses you or tries to convince you that you do not know God, tell them who your Redeemer is.
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” – I Peter 3:15-17.
There are some people in this world that appear to know God, and that He somehow reveals peoples sin to them in order to expose it to all the world. Let me tell you, if we are Christians living in sin we can expect that judgment will come, and while God does use us to give righteous judgment to those whom need it, He does not use us to criticize and belittle them. And if you are living in sin secretly, you can expect that it will be exposed in public, and to accuse by assumption will do nothing, but get our own sins exposed. Job knew that no matter what his friends said about him that he had a redeemer, he may not have seen Him, and he may have lost hope in things getting better, but he did not lose hope in what was to come beyond the grave.
“Then Job answered and said, How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me. And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself. My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight. I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth. My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children’s sake of mine own body. Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh? Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” – Job 19:1-4,14-17,22-25.
“and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” Oh, if only Job realized that his words would be written down and printed in the greatest book ever. Job, although he could not see Christ, knew who his Redeemer was, and that through Him he would be saved from judgment. We are not redeemed by any righteousness of our own, but through the righteousness of Christ. Salvation or eternal life is the gift of God through His mercy and grace in our acceptance of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It cannot be earned, bought, or paid for, therefore, we do have a Redeemer and He lives, and do will we. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” – I Peter 1:18-19.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:” – Job 19:25-26.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son to redeem me, I know I am not saved by anything that I do of my own, but by my faith and trust in what He did for me. Because I am redeemed I know that You are always with me, but sometimes I feel like You are no where to be found. I catch myself trying to handle my troubles on my own instead of looking to You for help and I know that is why sometimes lose hope that things will change for me. Lord, give me Your power to see past my troubles and look to You, as I do my part, by faith, I know You will do Your part, and I will see the amazing blessings that You have waiting for me as I endure the pain with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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