Date: Wednesday June 06, 2012
Today's Chapters: Job 21-24
Message Title: God Is Always With You

Hello My Friend,

I have never really been a person that envies another for their wealth, possessions, or success, but once in a while I see someone living a sinful life and wonder, “Why can't I have that? (metaphorically speaking) I am trying to do what God wants me to do, I am trying to live the right way, why am I struggling to get a fraction of what they have?”. I imagine we all have those thoughts once in a while, but we have to remember who we are, we are God's kids and He is always with us. “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” - 1 Peter 1:4-7.

As Job sat there listening to his friends throw all sorts of accusations at him he began to wonder, “Why do the wicked prosper?”. They do not care about God nor want Him in their lives, but they are prospering. “Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.” - Job 21:7,9,13-16.

While we cannot always understand why God allows the wicked to prosper and us to struggle, we can always understand that our faithfulness to God is not in vain. If we have eternal life through Jesus Christ, and His spiritual blessings, we have no reason to complain of the little suffering we are called to bear for Christ’s sake in this world. “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” - Romans 8:17,18.

Eliphaz was quick to respond, Eliphaz was basically telling Job to repent of his sins and return to God or He will not hear his prayers. “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? Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.” - Job 22:2-5,23,26,27.

While Eliphaz is right in what he said about God hearing the prayer of those who repent, he was wrong in assuming that Job was being afflicted because of sin and needed to repent of them before God hear his prayers. God puts us through things for a reason, even affliction, and in the end we will see that it was a blessing. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:18-24.

Job responds to Eliphaz's accusations, he was sure that his Almighty Judge would find him not guilty, he felt that he could plead his cause before God without fear and that God would listen to him and judge him accordingly. “Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me. 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. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” - Job 23:6,8-12.

Job is confident that his friends are judging him falsely and as ill as he is, he will not give up the cause nor let them have the last word. He knows that God would justify him. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:16,17,19,20.

Sometimes God stands at a distance as we face these struggles, He watches us and patiently waits for us to seek Him, speak to Him, and find strength in Him. We can pray and read our Bibles quite often and still not seek God. If you think about the whole time Job's friends were throwing these accusations at him, he was saying how mighty and merciful God is, but he wasn't speaking to God himself. Our faith in God is one thing and God loves it when we tell others about Him, but our actions toward God another, if we are not talking to Him He can't help us. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” - James 4:2,3,8-10.

George Muller said, “The Christian life will never be as pretty as we fantasize that it will be, but it is a life of victory. Adversity, battles, and constant struggles will always be part of our lives. Ours is a life of a forward march. We are told to, “endure hardness as a good soldier” as we live for Christ. The very people doing the most work for God in saving souls, in mission work, in the care of others, are those who are working on short supplies of strength, of money, of talents, of advantages and are kept in a position of living by faith and taking from God, day by day both physical and spiritual supplies! This is the way God succeeds and gains conquests over His own people, and over those who are crucified with Christ.” If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior than God is on your side, He will allow affliction, but with affliction also comes glory. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” - James 1:12.

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 affliction. 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. I need Your power to do this, I need Your power to help me get through this day looking to You and having confidence that my faithfulness to You is not in vain, that one day, after You have tried me, I will come forth as gold. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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