KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus
Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday,
May 31, 2016
Chapters: Job 17-19
Message: Let Christ Define You

Hello
My Friend,

Define, To determine or describe the end or
limit. I got a text message from someone I did not know and after we
chatted a bit the person started accusing me of things. Instead of
arguing I just blocked the person from my phone, but the first thing
I did was ask God why was I the one who had to be targeted. We can
question why people accuse us, but the real question is whether or
not we are going to let them define who we are by their lies. People
are always going to talk trash, especially about those who are true
to Christ, and while it hurts, they do not define us, Christ does,
and in the end they will be the ones sticking their feet in their
mouths. “For what glory is it, if, when ye be
buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye
do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable
with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his
steps:” - I Peter 2:20,21.

I understand the more
people talk bad about you that all you want to do is hide, but God
does not want us to hide, He wants us to come out and move forward.
The more Job hears his friends talk trash about him the more he just
wants to get away from everything. Job continues speaking in response
to Eliphaz, at this point he longs to die, he feels as though it is
his only option of relief.

“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. He that speaketh
flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail. He
hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a
tabret. Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members
are as a shadow. 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.” - Job 17:1-9.

“and
aforetime I was as a tabret.” Byword, to represent.
Aforetime, the face, Tabret, to spit on. Job feels
as though God is using him as an example, right
now as an object to be spit upon in the
face. How often do we feel as though we are the ones being punished?
With all the wicked things people are doing, God decides to choose us
to be an example of ridicule? The truth is, it is not God doing this,
it is the devil. Where is God in all this? He is up there waiting for
us to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and not let the trash talk
define us. Do you realize the trash talk He gets every day? He knows
how we feel. If Jesus stopped doing what He came here to do based on
the way they talked about Him we would still be sacrificing animals.
Pick up the pieces and move on, do not let false accusers win, we do
not have to argue with them because God will take care of them. “For
as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also
aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your
consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the
same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it
is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is
stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so
shall ye be also of the consolation.” -
II Corinthians 1:5-7.

Consolation, Comfort; alleviation of
misery, or distress of mind. Job just wanted some words of comfort,
what he got was everything, but that. Bildad speaks again,
convinced that Job is lying, and convinced he does not even know God.
“Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for
thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place? Yea, the light
of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not
shine. 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 18:1,4,5,18-21.

“and
this is the place of him that knoweth not God.” I saw this
comic strip, it had two pictures, one of a church congregation and
one of prisoners. It pointed out that many who we think will be in
heaven will not. Our salvation is not granted to us by the things we
do, according to God, none of us know Him, and it is true, unless we
know His Son. We are not defined by our works because none of us are
good, we are defined by the one we believe in and receive as our
Saviour. “As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is
none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they
are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no,
not one. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To
declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be
just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” -
Romans 3:10-12,24-26.

I get it, people are mean and cruel,
especially with their mouths, but they are not who defines us, if
Christ in is you, He defines you. Job, defends himself once again,
reminding them all that he has a Redeemer, and he will be justified.
“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: And though
after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see
God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not
another; though my reins be consumed within me.” - Job
19:22-27.

“yet in my flesh shall I
see God:” Oh, if Job only knew that his story would be
printed in a book, it was not printed in just any book, it was in
God’s book. Job 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 (eternal life) is the gift of God through His mercy and
grace in our acceptance of the death, burial, and resurrection of His
Son. It cannot be earned or bought because Christ paid that price for
us. We need a Redeemer to be saved from the second death and hell,
and the Redeemer is only Jesus Christ. “But
now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have
your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages
of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:22,23.

Jesus
Christ Revealed: Today, Jesus is revealed through the
redeemer. He became our Redeemer by living a sinless life and giving
His life to redeem all who believe in Him. “Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
- Galatians 3:13.

Today's Prayer:
God, Thank You for sending Your Son to redeem me, I know I am not
saved by anything 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 asking You
for help and I know that is only the devil messing with my head.
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 so show 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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