Victory in Christ

After God had challenged Job with some tough questions, we see the response. “Then Job answered the Lord and said: ‘I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.’” (Job 42:1-3) It took some hard questions straight from God’s own voice, but Job was completely humbled. He realized that his knowledge was nothing compared to the knowledge of the One who created everything. Paul told the Corinthians (and us) something very similar. “If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” (1 Corinthians 8:2-3)

Today’s reading: Job 40-42

Listen:

Elihu continues his speech to Job with descriptions of God’s majesty. As he is listing these powers, he rhetorically asks Job if he is God’s partner in His work. In chapter 38 we read the continued questioning of Job, but this time the questions come from God. Verse 1 tells us that God is talking to Job from a whirlwind and He tells Job to be prepared. “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.” (Job 38:3) I would imagine Job was a little scared at this point since he is being told by God to bring forth his best effort. Like Job, none of us can compare to the majesty of our Heavenly Father. The good news is that we do not have to compare to Him. We just need to be willing to follow Him with all of our being and let Him take care of us.

Today’s reading: Job 38-39

Listen:

Elihu rebuked Job and gave his opinion about how Job had reacted to all of his suffering. He felt that Job’s opinion of himself was that he was more righteous than God. “Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?” (Job 35:2) We do not read anywhere that Job had made a statement like this, but Elihu seemed to think that was how he acted. Elihu does make some good points about God’s awesome power and How he blesses every person on this earth much more richly than we deserve. One of his messages to Job (also applies to us) is to give God the glory He deserves. “Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.” (Job 36:24)

Today’s reading: Job 35-37

Listen:

Elihu had his own opinion about the trials and suffering that Job had endured. When he shared that opinion with Job he had a good point that he made was about opportunities God provides us to repent and get our lives right with Him. His point is still fitting in our lives today. “Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.” (Job 33:30) We know that God does not want anyone to be lost. “…who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

Today’s reading: Job 32-34

Listen:

In chapter 29 Job reminisces about how great his life had been in the past. He talks about how much good he had done with what he had been given. Then in chapter 30 he laments how terrible his life had become. Job’s life is just one instance of how fortunes can change quickly and turn the best to the worst. It is also an example of the limitation of human power. We need our Heavenly Father’s power everyday of our lives. We need the saving power that He provides thru His Son.

Today’s reading: Job 29-31

Listen:

Job suffered thru everything that the devil put on him, but he never knew why it was happening. He did not have the privilege that we do of knowing the conversations that God had with the devil about Job. In chapter 26 as he is responding to Bildad, Job lists several things that only God has the power to accomplish. After he lists those things, he makes a statement about how much more there is of God that we do not see or understand. “Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?” (Job 26:14). What a powerful God we serve!

Today’s reading: Job 24-28

Listen:

In chapter 21 we read of another response from Job. His message is that you cannot look at outward appearances and tell if a person is living right or not. “Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?” (Job 21:7) Like Job we may have to endure sufferings on this earth even when we are following God’s word, but our time here is short compared to eternity. Paul gave us some good advice when he told the Philippians that he put behind him things of the past and was reaching forward to what lies ahead. “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

Today’s reading: Job 21-23

Listen:

Have you ever heard it said of someone that they had “the patience of Job”? We even read of this mentioned in the New Testament (James 5:11). In all of the trials and suffering that Job endured, he kept his trust in God. We are commanded to have patience daily no matter what happens in our life. In the verses preceding the mention of Job in James chapter 5 we are told to be patient until the coming of the Lord. (James 5:7-8) Sometimes it is not easy to be patient, but if we are waiting on our Lord we know it will be worth the wait! “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:11)

Today’s reading: Job 17-20

Listen below:

Job again hears from his friend Eliphaz. From the way these “friends” talk to Job, you would never know they were his friends at all. Job gives his honest opinion about them: “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all.” (Job 16:2) We cannot always understand other people’s situation, but we can be comforters to them just as God is a comforter to us. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2Corinthians 1:3-4)

Today’s reading: Job 14-16

Listen below:

Job’s response to his friends gets pretty harsh. He was not happy that they were accusing him of receiving these things for punishment for some wrong he had done. The questions he asks put back on them accusation of their possible wrongdoing. “Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?” (Job 13:9) We all know nothing can be hidden from God, but He wants us to confess our sins to Him. (1 John 1:9)

Today’s reading: Job 10-13

I had someone ask about me recording the daily reading. Here’s my first attempt: