KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus
Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday,
May 27, 2016
Chapters: Job 4-6
Message: Being Upright With Jesus

Hello
My Friend,

Upright, Honest; just; not deviating from
correct moral principles. Correct Moral Principles, what are they and
who decides what they are? In general, being moral means respecting
the conduct of man and their relations as social beings whose actions
have a bearing on each others rights and happiness. In other words to
learn the difference between right and wrong, and act accordingly. We
do not have to know God to know that something is right or wrong, but
we do have to know God to keep ourselves upright. “Good
and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his
way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep
his covenant and his testimonies.” - Psalms 25:8-10.

There
is no better guide to teach us how to be upright than God’s Word,
while our conscious is pretty good at telling us we are doing
something wrong, it can only go so far because our thoughts are not
as God’s. Now, with that said, what do you do when you do not have
God’s Word. God’s Word followed along with the ages, during Job’s
time, His Word did not exist on paper, it was literally all done by
faith and what they were taught through the generations. As Job sits
there in pain, his friends are watching him, thinking about his life
and like, Job also wondering why he was being afflicted. Now, they
begin to speak on what they think is going on, first Eliphaz. A
descendant of Esau, Jacob's brother, his reasoning as to why Job was
suffering was that God was chastening his for some hidden sin.


“Then Eliphaz the Temanite
answered and said, If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be
grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? Behold, thou
hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy
words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened
the feeble knees. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it
toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. Is not this thy fear, thy
confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? Remember, I
pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the
righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and
sow wickedness, reap the same.” - Job 4:1-8.

“who
ever perished, being innocent?” Eliphaz could not wait to be
the first to reprimand Job, he sees this man who appeared so upright,
hiding some terrible sin. Remember, they knew of God, but at this
point He was someone who rewarded you for good and punished you for
evil. In their eyes, Job had to have done something for God to strike
him like this. While God indeed does reward us for good and punish us
for evil, He is not quite the ruthless, strike you down for
everything you do God that He is still portrayed as. Even when
salvation was based on ones works, God was merciful, the same
principles applied as they do today, you must walk by faith,
believing in God and be atoned for your sins. Being upright is not
about trying to remember every sin we committed, it is about
admitting that we are sinners and need Jesus Christ. No one is
innocent, we are all sinners and the punishment for sin is death and
hell. By faith we believe that Christ saves us from that punishment.
“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By
what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we
conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the
law.” - Romans 3:27,28.

Do you remember in the
beginning of the book, we learn a little about Job, he gave
sacrifices to God every day, for him and his children to redeem them
if they had sinned, and this was well before the law was written.
“for
Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their
hearts. Thus did Job continually.” Job
knew he was not sinless, but he was perfect in the eyes of God
because he followed Him wholly. By nature, if a person who knows God
sees someone suffering the first thing they assume is there must be
sin in their lives, which is what Eliphaz was doing. Eliphaz
continues speaking, encouraging Job to accept his chastening with
gladness.

“Behold, happy is the
man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of
the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and
his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in
seven there shall no evil touch thee. And thou shalt know that thy
tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation,
and shalt not sin. Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great,
and thine offspring as the grass of the earth. Thou shalt come to thy
grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.
Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for
thy good.” - Job 5:1-19,24-27.

“and
know thou it for thy good.” Eliphaz is telling Job that he
is suffering for his own good, and that if he just confesses his sin
God is faithful to deliver him out of his suffering. How often do we
wonder how good of a Christian someone is when they are being
afflicted? How about ourselves, how often do we question whether or
not we are doing something wrong of have some unconfessed sin we
forgot. If we stop to think about it, we do it more than we realize.
It is natural to think that if we are suffering we must have done
something wrong. While we do not always suffer for sin, the truth is,
we sin every day, most of the time we do not realize what we are
doing. That anger that caused a lack of judgment. That frustration
that caused hurtful words. That envy that caused bitterness. That
disappointment that caused a lack of faith in God. These are all
things we do unknowingly that we just need to go to God and say, I’m
sorry for sinning against You. Being upright is not about being
perfect, none of us are, but it is about confessing that we are a
sinner and need the Perfect One, Jesus. “That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” -
Romans 10:9,10.

Do not let your lack of knowing fool you
into believing that you can do something that is sinful and get away
with it. If you are saved, the Holy Spirit lives in you and He tells
you right away if you said, did, or even thought of something wrong.
We are, by nature, engrafted to having certain needs and desires of
the flesh, but we are very capable of controlling ourselves. And by
the way, if you are upright, people know you are, and they know what
you are capable of. If someone says something questionable about you
the people ought to shrug it off, knowing that it is not possible
coming from you. Job responds to Eliphaz, quite saddened by his
assumptions.

“But Job answered
and said, To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his
friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. For now ye are
nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid. Did I say, Bring
unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance? Or, Deliver me
from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?
Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand
wherein I have erred. How forcible are right words! but what doth
your arguing reprove? Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the
speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind? Yea, ye
overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend. Now
therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I
lie. Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again,
my righteousness is in it. Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my
taste discern perverse things?” - Job 6:1,14,21-30.

“cannot
my taste discern perverse things?” We know what we are
doing, whether it is right or wrong. We do not need God or anyone
else to tell us something we are doing is wrong. The first thing many
people do is use the excuse that they did not know any better. It is
the world that deceives people into believing that something wrong is
right. Why do you think the world reacts so inhumanely when a
Christian tells them what they are doing is sin? They know what they
are doing is wrong. Being upright is not only knowing right from
wrong, but living right, despite what the world is doing. It is not
the people we have to answer to, it is God. No one is perfect, no
one, but we can be led by the Perfect One and let Him help us live
right. Each day with Christ pulls us away from the world and toward
our Father. We are not nor will be sinless until He returns or takes
us home, but He will help us sin less if we remain upright in Him. He
is the key to following the Correct Moral Principles that God has
laid out for us. “What then? shall we sin,
because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know
ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the
servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of
doctrine which was delivered you.” - Romans 6:15-17.

Jesus
Christ Revealed: Today, Jesus is revealed through Job, who
reveals he would be conmforted by God through his death. Jesus had no
problem giving His life for man because He had comfort knowing that
His Father would take care of Him. “I came
forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the
world, and go to the Father.” - John 16:28.

Today's
Prayer: God, When I am being afflicted, give me the
strength to endure it, trusting in Your promises. When I see others
afflicted, let me not falsely accuse or judge them, but be a comfort
to them through their distress. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me
Your power to be the light that so many need when they are afflicted
and do not know what is going on, let me be a guide and comfort to
them, and let Your Son shine through me as I live in a way that is
pleasing to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I
am praying for you,
Christina

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