KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus
Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday,
June 01, 2016
Chapters: Job 20-23
Message: Where Does Your Strength Come
From?

Hello My Friend,

Every year I
look forward to reading the Book of Job, while most people have a
verse they can relate to that reminds them of what God has done in
their lives, I have the Book of Job, it is my testimony. Of all the
years that I have read it through, this year is by far the most
trying on my faith. I see people being blessed all around me, people
who are not living for God, and yet I struggle each day to know how
God will provide for me the next day. You see, as much as I want to
give up living like this, I know where I would be if I did things my
way, little is much when God is in it. I do not know what will happen
tomorrow, but I do know that God is there and in the end I will be
blessed for not giving up. “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 4:12,13.

There
is a lot to be said of strength, in fact, quite often, a person is as
strong as they allow themselves to be. For instance, a person capable
or lifting a hundred pounds factors all sorts of things that enable
them to lift it, more importantly, if they have it in their minds
that they are not able they will not. You see, several factors play a
part in our strength, these are the mind, body, and spirit. In Job’s
present state his physical strength was weakened by his illness, but
his mental and spiritual strength was also weakened by his friends,
weakening him all together. One after another they weakened him by
their constant criticism of him. Zophar speaks again, this time
bluntly calling him a hypocrite. “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? When he is about to fill his belly, God
shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him
while he is eating.” - Job 20:1-5,23.

“and
the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?” Hypocrite, one
one who has the form of godliness, but is not. People will call you a
hypocrite for one of two reasons, they either want you to do
something that is not godly, or they have a false perception of you,
they just knew in the back of their head you are not true. All these
guys saw through Job’s affliction was that he was not the godly man
he appeared to be. Words are stronger than they appear, and they will
zap the strength out of you quicker than anything else. It is not the
people around us that we have to please, it is God. As long as we do
what He wants us to do He will give us the strength to endure the
worst critics, even when it seems everyone is against us. “It
is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. Thou
hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand
hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. For thou
hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under
me those that rose up against me.” - Psalms 18:32,35,39.

As
Job lays there hearing their accusations he begins to wonder why the
wicked do prosper, while those who do fear God suffer. “Mark
me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth. Even when I
remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.
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. 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.” - Job
21:2-9,27-30.

“That the wicked is
reserved to the day of destruction?” As much as we do not
understand why the wicked prosper and the godly suffer, in the end
they will suffer more than we ever did. I am a firm believer that
those who reject God do suffer well before they die. Those who choose
worldly riches and glory find it easy to ignore God because they feel
they have everything they want. But look deep inside and there is no
true happiness, they suffer with more problems than we do. But the
wicked are not only those who reject God, they also include those who
use God to get their wealth, and those who follow false religion as
there way to heaven. We will all stand before Christ one day and will
give an account for the things we have done, but being good has
nothing to do with our salvation, we must believe in Christ for that.
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast
out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will
I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.” - Matthew 7:22,23.

Eliphaz,
perhaps the most knowledgeable of God between the three, has hope
that things will get better for Job, if he just acknowledge his sin
to God and seek forgiveness. “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.

“If
thou return to the Almighty,” God indeed is rich in mercy,
even if we turn from Him. However, Eliphaz was way off in his
judgment here, he was being sarcastic as if Job was saying that God
does not see and know everything that he has done. God sees and knows
everything we do, even the things we think, but He does not base our
prosperity on our works, but in the one who we are trusting while
doing those works. False religion, including those who make up their
own religion, draw the wrong conclusion about God, they view Him as
this vengeful and mean God who will strike you with every little
thing you do. Let me tell you, if that were true, none of us would be
here right now, cause we have all done something to sin against God.
God truly is merciful and graceful, even when the first sin was
committed. And yes, if people mock Him and turn His faithful away
from Him, He will show His wrath, but make no mistake, God is the
same now as He was we He created the earth. “Be
not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the
flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” -
Galatians 6:7-9.

Job responds by reminding himself that
God knows what he has done and even though he does not see Him, He
will exalt him in due time. “Will he plead
against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.
There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered
for ever from my judge. 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. My foot hath held his
steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.” - Job
23:6-11.

“but he would put
strength in me.” God is our strength, He strengthens our
spirit through our tribulations, He strengthens our mind through His
reminders, He strengthens our body through His Son. We may not be
able to get out of bed, but we can be strong knowing that Christ is
always with us. “Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For
thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us.” - Romans
8:35-37.

Jesus Christ Revealed:
Today, Jesus is revealed through the judge. Jesus is judge of all.
“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not
my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the
same shall judge him in the last day.” - John
12:48.

Today's Prayer:
God, As much as I believe that all things You allow in my life work
together for good I still struggle with communicating with You
through my afflictions. I read my Bible and pray, find a moment of
hope then lose my desire to keep going when I walk out that door.
Lord, I know You do not want me to live like this, I know You want me
to lift my head up high, positive that You will see me through. You
are my strength to keep going, and one day, after You have tried me,
I will come forth as gold. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God
Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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