Short Reflection from Job 28-42

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (DRU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟠:𝟚𝟠

"And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'"

Before King Solomon, Before Moses, Before Abraham, Job knew this truth concerning wisdom.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟡:𝟚

"Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me"

Job felt forsaken by God. He recalled his life before this suffering. What a testimony he had! What a life he lived! Indeed, Satan would want to tempt such man to shame God.

I think it's Lee Strobel, who said that before his conversion he would love to date Christian girls to let them commit sin.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟘:𝟙

"But now those younger than I mock me, Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock."

Job not only disliked egg without salt 🙂 He disliked mockery too! At least I can identify with Job in some areas! 😂

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟙:𝟛𝟛

"Have I covered my transgressions like Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,"

Satan defeated Adam but couldn't defeat Job. Even here, Job talked about his life's principles, and was striving to be better than Adam. We must also...

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟚:𝟙𝟙

"Behold, I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, While you pondered what to say."

A positive lesson from Elihu: to wait silently!

A negative lesson: to not speak harshly!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟛:𝟙𝟜

"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it."

Indeed, God has sufficiently spoken. And His revelations are sufficiently available! No one can find fault with God.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟜:𝟙𝟚

"Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice."

That's why I am glad when Apostle John said Jesus is our advocate. And He said I belong to Him. So, what do I care what the chorus of hell, heaven, and earth says? The justifier is my advocate! And everything He does is not only just but good and for my own good!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟝:𝟞-𝟠

"If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give to Him, Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness is for a man like yourself, And your righteousness is for a son of man."

Elihu is basically saying no action of ours affects God, it only affects fellow man. There's a truth in his statement, which I find so fascinating!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟞:𝟝

"Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any; He is mighty in strength of understanding."

People often trample others to be seen. They exalt themselves in the humiliation of others. But God is mighty, He does not need to do such. He does not need to trample, humiliate, or despise anyone to exalt himself.

Let's learn this attribute of God as we seek glory for ourselves—not to pull others down.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟟:𝟚𝟛-𝟚𝟜

"The Almighty--we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise of heart."

But in reality, most people hardly fear God because they don't know the greatness of God!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟠:𝟜𝟙

"Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food?"

The question implies that God cares about the needs of the raven. And if God cares about the raven, will He not look after us? Jesus would likewise ask, are we not worth than two sparrows? 😇

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟡:𝟙𝟛-𝟙𝟟

"The ostriches' wings flap joyously With the pinion and plumage of love, For she abandons her eggs to the earth And warms them in the dust, And she forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may trample them. She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned; Because God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding."

God is really great. His creations declare so.

I remember a story about a man who was questioning the wisdom of God. He was lying under a big tree which bears small nuts. He also saw a climber that bears big pumpkins. He thought these to be highly mismatched saying that it looks fitting for a big tree to yield big pumpkins and a climber to bear small nuts.

As he was murmuring, a nut fell upon his tooth. And he shouted in pain, "Ouch!" Then he said, "Oh! If it was pumpkin, I would have died. God must be wiser than me!"

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟜𝟘:𝟛-𝟝

"Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more.’"

God is so great that everyone will humble themselves at His appearing! How fortunate that we are told the greatness of God before we face Him.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟜𝟙:𝟙𝟙

"Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine."

This puts us in the proper perspective of our life, possession, and situations. God can do whatever He wants. And how great that He does everything good for those (and only) who love Him (Rom.8:28)

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟜𝟚:𝟙𝟘

"The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold."

Hmm! God is a restorer! What seems lost on account of living to glorify God shall be revealed to have yielded manifold according to the story of Job and the promise of our Lord in the New Testament! 😇PTL!

Short Reflection from Job 13-27

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (DRU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟛:𝟚𝟝

"Will you frighten a driven leaf and pursue dry chaff?"

A few years ago, I had asked God a similar question. Well, I didn't receive any answer, but slowly and slowly Psalm 63:3 became one of my favorite Bible verses!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟜:𝟙

"Man, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil."

Life is not only short but also full of troubles. But the greater truth is that there's eternal life after death which will depend on how we live now.

God's grace is sufficient here and yonder!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟜

"What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?"

The doctrine of the sinfulness of humans is clearly revealed here! Sinners feel disgusting because it damns them, while the saints delight in it because it sanctifies them!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟞:𝟙𝟟

"Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure."

Job never stopped trusting God. He continued what he usually did. No to sin and Yes to godliness.

I usually hear friends and many say, "I stop praying because God never answered my prayer!" That's not what Job did. Job never took a holiday from religion (spiritual discipline), yes, even when God was silent!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟟:𝟚

"Surely mockers are with me, And my eye gazes on their provocation."

How did that happen? Comforters turning into Mockers. It's terrible!

I am afraid whether I have been down this road! I love to encourage people but challenge them as well, but sometimes, I wonder, if they would consider my "challenge" as a mockery! And the heart is deceitful, maybe I was really mocking and not challenging, who knows? It's scary!

We must learn to distinguish between them!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟠:𝟚𝟙

"Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, And this is the place of him who does not know God."

Bildad's understanding of the fate of the wicked (unbelievers). Well, one thing is for sure, Heaven will be better than anybody's imagination, and hell will be worse than anybody's imagination!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟡:𝟚𝟝-𝟚𝟞

"As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God;"

What kind of person wouldn't admire the relationship Job had with God? It's more beautiful than Romeo-Juliet, Jack-Rose, Hachiko, etc.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟘:𝟜-𝟝

"Do you know this from of old, From the establishment of man on earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless momentary?"

Even Mahatma Gandhi knew that Truth will triumph. Jesus, the Truth shall indeed Reign. The triumphing of Jesus is forever.

The triumphing of the wicked, of the godless, of falsehood shall not last. Truth will always stand.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟙:𝟚𝟚

"Can anyone teach God knowledge, In that He judges those on high?"

Job has higher view of God than his friends.

One of the top goals of my ministry is to instill a high view of God in the hearts of my hearers!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟚:𝟚-𝟛

"Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself? Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect?"

Surely the best of man is still unprofitable to God. Even Peter, John, and Paul were unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10)

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟛:𝟙𝟚

"I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."

This verse stands out for me in chapter 23. How many people do you know who have such testimony?

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟜:𝟚𝟝

"Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar, And make my speech worthless?"

When he was having his worst time, Job still was very confident of what he believed of God's righteousness and goodness!

And the worst times are often the best times to demonstrate our real character!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟝:𝟜-𝟞

"How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman? If even the moon has no brightness And the stars are not pure in His sight, How much less man, that maggot, And the son of man, that worm!"

It's necessary not only to have a high view of God, it's also imperative that we have a low view of man.

A man of God fears nothing but God!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟞:𝟚

"What a help you are to the weak! How you have saved the arm without strength!"

I pray to God that I am not like Job's friends when I go to counsel others. Yesterday and today, I counseled two different individuals. By God's grace, they said that I am a messenger of God to help them come out from their depression. PTL🙏

Indeed, we have the complete revelation of God, we can't afford to be like them.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟟:𝟞

"I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days."

In tough times, I often thought, "What have I done to be in this situation?" because I am such a sinner, guilty here and there.

Job being a righteous man was conscious of nothing wrong in his conduct.

We need to be holy and blameless because tough days are coming and will beat us mercilessly

Short Reflection from Job 1-12

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (DRU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[2:42 pm, 01/01/2022] S.R: 𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙:𝟚𝟙

"He said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.'"

The first chapter of the first written book of the Bible deals with the most common experience of all people: suffering. Well, Job chose to bless God!

We have two choices in suffering: to bless God or to curse God.

Bless the Lord, O, my soul! 🎶

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚:𝟙𝟚

"When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky."

Job's three friends have become a proverb to ridicule useless friends. However, they were very good in the beginning. I don't mean to suggest they became bad. Rather, I would like to say that most probably they are as good as any good people around us. If we live in their times, probably we would be reacting like them.

My takeaway from this verse and this story is, at least let's imitate these 3 friends in their good conduct! 👍🙏

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛:𝟙

"Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth."

Job would rather curse anything related to him than curse God.

I have an old friend who had been to great trouble and sorrow, when I inquired about his day-to-day life, he said, "I have no complaints, only gratefulness to His grace upon grace"

By, the mercies of God, I have learned to say like that oftentimes! O, why would I curse my God who has never erred me!? I stand with Polycarp and the psalmist to bless the Lord!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟜:𝟜

"Your 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤 have helped the tottering to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees."

This was spoken of Job by his friend (who had also become his accuser).

Let people say of me as it was said of Job. I have not much money, nor much strength to help the weak, feeble, and poor, but I have the word of God (the wisdom of God) to help them.

Job was a rich, powerful, and influential man, but he was known for his "words"

Wow! Every one of us in this group can be known for that as well because we read to know God's word! 😇

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟝:𝟙𝟟

"Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty."

This is a true statement but unfortunately was irrelevant to Job because Job wasn't disciplined by God for any of his sins.

However, I think, we would be almost always right when we use this verse among us! 🙂

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟞:𝟚𝟜

"Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred."

Would we be like Job who doesn't have anything shameful to hide, but asked to be examined to be better?

Our Lord Jesus went further. He dared his haters to convict Him of any sins!

David experienced the joy of salvation, the joy of life, the goodness of God when he let God examine him!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟟:𝟙𝟞

"I waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath."

Job was in pain, left alone by God, wife, friends, and all!

Actually, life no matter what it is, is short and has been wasted when it is not enjoying God.

There were times, like Job, when I felt I was being left to waste my time, energy, and life, and wanted God to leave me alone as He does with others! Not to live independently of God, but to be not examined deeply, for who can stand His examination?

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟠:𝟛

"Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?"

These questions are framed in such a way that the answer is an absolute "No!" It's not a question of doubt. It's a question of affirmation! All questionings in trials and temptations aren't bad.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟡:𝟛𝟘-𝟛𝟙

"If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me."

Indeed, no matter how we strive to be holy, there's still indwelling sin in us. Still, God calls us to be obsessed with holiness. John Owen said that if the indwelling sin is not your greatest burden in life, you aren't a Christian!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟝

"If I am wicked, woe to me! And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery."

This was the word of Job in despair, but it's true. We dare not face the holy God without the person of Christ, our mediator!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟙:𝟙𝟟

"Your life would be brighter than noonday; Darkness would be like the morning."

It wasn't for Job. These words were so empty, so untrue to Job.

But no matter what, he chose to trust God!

Let's not read Bible only to find the motivation to live on. It may not mean what we think it means! But like Job, whether we understand it or not, like it or not, we keep going on...

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟙𝟚:𝟛

"But I have intelligence as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And who does not know such things as these?"

Indeed, I know godly people who do not speak like the world though they are very intelligent and even more intelligent than those worldly guys who flaunt their intelligence.

As Isaiah and Paul said, "Let him who boasts boast that he knows the Lord." Job knew God not just in word, he experienced the awesomeness of God through his deep suffering!