Thursday 29 Aug 2013

Thursday Reading: Job 5:6-16

Key Verse: Job 5:16
16  So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

Devotion:
Despite Job’s so called friends blaming just about everyone for everything and trying to convince Job that he must have done something to cause God to show him such wrath, they actually did say some good things… Eliphaz reminded Job that if God is going to show His wrath we should expect to be reprimanded for our sins. Thankfully we have a Saviour who has paid for our sin debt and has set us free – but it is God who allows everything into our lives.

Just as God allowed the devil to have a hand at trying to get Job to renounce God, Job would not do it because he fully trusted in God. Job did not fully understand why all these things should come his way after he had led a good life, but I think this is one of those sections which must have made him think again. Yes, God allows everything into our lives, and sometimes He allows things into our lives because we deserve them – but other times it seems like it just happens!

We are all born into this world and hence we are all born with a sin nature which we inherit from Adam and Eve. That sin nature encourages us to go into sin and see what happens! But God has given us a new nature through Jesus Christ that allows us to avoid sin if we should choose to. Unfortunately many of us continue in sin rather than turning our backs on that sin. It is only when we do turn our backs on sin that we find out just how much God is looking out for us and how much He wants to help us in that path!

No matter where we are in society, we are all born with this sin nature which means that we all do need Christ in our lives in order to dispense with that sin nature and take on God’s ways! No matter how rich or poor we are, we all have that same hope through Jesus Christ because He died for everyone and not just the righteous or the just – after all, we all fall short of that mark! When we are willing to lay aside our ways and come humbly before our God, He is the one who will show us the mercy and help us when we actually need it!

Points to Ponder:
Do you count on God?

Do you actually wait on Him?