Bible League: Living His Word He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, for He restores to man His righteousness. — Job 33:26 NKJV It may surprise you to know that “joy” was called for on behalf of Job, even amid his devastating circumstances. Words translated “joy” in the English are used six times throughout the book, each using a different variation of the word. For instance, Job 8:19 speaks of the feeling of joy, Job 20:5 uses the word with its clearest understanding, but it is referring to hypocrites, whose joy (i.e., “delight”) is only momentary. Job 29:13 uses a word that indicates singing for joy, Job 41:22 uses another word entirely which indicates dancing for joy. In Job 38:7 the word “joy” is inferred in the context of the sentence, and in our verse for today, the word used infers that one will “shout” for joy once one gains some level of understanding of what is happening in his life. For nearly 24 chapters, Job’s three “friends” (the word being cautiously used!), Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have attempted to give a reason philosophically and theologically for Job’s tremendous suffering and loss. They each draw the same conclusion: Job has sinned, so now he’s suffering. Even Job himself agrees that what he is suffering materially, relationally, and physically must indeed be the result of something he did to make God angry. Another assumed acquaintance, Elihu, standing in the shadows of the room now steps forth, full of disgust at what he has been hearing from these so-called friends of Job (Job 32:1-3). For six chapters Elihu, who may agree that sin can bring its own suffering, speaks forth a different conclusion, ringing with the incredible truth desperately needed by any innocent sufferer today. His first thought is at the heart of our verse for today: God has not been silent amid Job’s suffering. He speaks through the pain to open an opportunity for Job to see God’s righteousness beyond the pain. Read carefully the beautiful poetic phrases of chapters 32 and 33 to realize that God often afflicts the body for the good of the soul. Indeed, pain is the fruit of sin’s rampage throughout the world, and we would always choose to not suffer its destructive ravages. But by God’s grace, the pain of the body can spiritually reveal the deeper dimensions of life that draw one closer to God for both life in the present and in eternity. Pain draws us to prayer—all kinds of prayer—from many different angles. The constant “asking, seeking, knocking” prayer of one suffering is promised an ”open door” (Matthew 7:7-8), an opportunity to see something of God working behind the scenes to bring about results that are honoring to Him and best for us (even though we may not realize it at the time). Can we imagine that if we see God’s “face” from this perspective that our souls will be filled with joy? This kind of attitude provides the greatest opportunity for God to restore that sense of righteousness—that sense of living in a right relationship with God. Speaking regarding all seasons of life, A.W. Tozer stated: “When a person, yielding to God and believing the truth of God, is filled with the Spirit of God, even his faintest whisper will be worship.” In our worship of God, we find our best opportunity to express joy—unspeakable joy! By Bill Niblette, Bible League International staff, Pennsylvania USA Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingNehemiah 7, 8 Nehemiah 7 -- Census of Returned Exiles NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Nehemiah 8 -- Ezra Reads the Law, Restores the Feast of Tabernacles NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 3 Acts 3 -- Peter Heals the Lame Beggar, Speaks to Onlookers NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.Insight Jesus described leadership from a new perspective. Instead of using people, we are to serve them. Jesus' mission was to serve others and to give his life away. A real leader has a servant's heart. Servant leaders appreciate others' worth and realize that they're not above any job. Challenge If you see something that needs to be done, don't wait to be asked. Take the initiative and do it like a faithful servant. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Songs 5:1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse.The heart of the believer is Christ's garden. He bought it with his precious blood, and he enters it and claims it as his own. A garden implies separation. It is not the open common; it is not a wilderness; it is walled around, or hedged in. Would that we could see the wall of separation between the church and the world made broader and stronger. It makes one sad to hear Christians saying, "Well, there is no harm in this; there is no harm in that," thus getting as near to the world as possible. Grace is at a low ebb in that soul which can even raise the question of how far it may go in worldly conformity. A garden is a place of beauty, it far surpasses the wild uncultivated lands. The genuine Christian must seek to be more excellent in his life than the best moralist, because Christ's garden ought to produce the best flowers in all the world. Even the best is poor compared with Christ's deservings; let us not put him off with withering and dwarf plants. The rarest, richest, choicest lilies and roses ought to bloom in the place which Jesus calls his own. The garden is a place of growth. The saints are not to remain undeveloped, always mere buds and blossoms. We should grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Growth should be rapid where Jesus is the Husbandman, and the Holy Spirit the dew from above. A garden is a place of retirement. So the Lord Jesus Christ would have us reserve our souls as a place in which he can manifest himself, as he doth not unto the world. O that Christians were more retired, that they kept their hearts more closely shut up for Christ! We often worry and trouble ourselves, like Martha, with much serving, so that we have not the room for Christ that Mary had, and do not sit at his feet as we should. The Lord grant the sweet showers of his grace to water his garden this day. Daily Light on the Daily Path Matthew 17:20 And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.Judges 4:8,23 Then Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go." • So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. Judges 6:27,36,39,40 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night. • Then Gideon said to God, "If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, • Then Gideon said to God, "Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground." • God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground. Revelation 3:8 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Zechariah 4:10 "For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel-- these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth." 2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" Hosea 14:5,6 I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. • His shoots will sprout, And his beauty will be like the olive tree And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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