Daily Bible Devotionals

“Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip. I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.” Psalm 17:4-9 (NKJV)

Satan has a three-fold agenda: Steal, Kill, Destroy. (John 10:10) He wants to steal God’s sheep (us) by promising a better life if we reject God. He seeks to kill by stealing the seeds of the gospel, sown through evangelism. (Matthew 13:19). By doing so, Satan’s ultimate goal is to destroy any hope that we may have of a joy-filled life and eternity with God. So, how does David stay away from the Destroyer (Satan)? By staying off the Destroyer’s path!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

And how does one ensure they do not travel in the Destroyer’s path, aka: “the path of sinners”? By seeking and obeying God’s Word, “the Word of Your lips.”

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”  Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

We must remember that while there are many “paths” promising to lead us to a joyful relationship with God (and many of those paths are seemingly trustworthy simply because they are ancient), there is only ONE true path.

“This is what the Lord says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, “We won’t!”’  Jeremiah 6:16  (see also: John 14:6; Matthew 7:13-14) (HCSB)

Notice how David communicates that while he stands blameless before the Lord when he wrote this psalm, he is not counting on his personal righteousness to deliver him. He relies on God’s right hand (Isaiah 41:10-13), confident that he is the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8-9) and will be gathered under His “wing  .”Are you willing to be gathered?

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!”  Matthew 23:37 (NASB)

“I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:8-11 (NKJV)

Here, in Psalm 16, David is speaking prophetically and pleading emphatically. He begins with desperation, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.” Obviously, David has found himself in a jam only God could get him out of. It is not unlike many prayers that you or I have prayed, looking for a way through a dilemma for which we cannot imagine a solution. But David’s situation leads us to believe that he feels he may not make it out alive. So, he is declaring his belief that if he dies, God will preserve him, resurrecting him from the grave.

Notice his words, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol (Heb: the grave)….”  

David is declaring his belief, not just in God’s ability to resurrect the dead, but in His willingness to resurrect David, personally, because he has placed his faith in God. For those who hold to the notion that the resurrection of the dead is a purely New Testament idea, this is solid evidence otherwise! But don’t feel lonely; the Old Testament’s teaching (of the resurrection of the dead) was hotly debated, even in the days of Jesus and His apostles.

“Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’” Acts 23:6 (NIV)

Just when we might believe Psalm 16 is purely a declaration of David’s belief that he will be resurrected, his psalm moves to the subject of Messiah (Jesus) and His resurrection: “…nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Psalm 16:10b (NKJV)

It should not surprise us that David prophesied about Messiah. After all, the Messiah was also known as “the Son of David.”  However, David was not the only prophet who understood the Messiah’s role. Every single Old Testament prophet plainly saw Jesus and His role & resurrection. (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 53; Psalm 22; Isaiah 9:6)  Furthermore, they all knew there would be no salvation other than Messiah Jesus.  

“All the prophets testify about Him (Messiah) that through His Name everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43 (see also: John 12:41) (NASB)

“This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12 (NKJV)

“Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.”  Psalm 15:1-5 (Compare: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) (NLT)

There is a false assumption dominating the understanding of many Christians that Old Testament believers were somehow justified by the works of the Law. Reading today’s psalm, it’s easy to assume a “salvation by works” mindset, so some explaining is necessary. Nobody has ever been justified solely by their good works. Salvation has always been and forever will be, by grace, through faith.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)

Old Testament righteousness, by grace, through faith, is the primary message of the New Testament book of Hebrews. Hebrews was written to the Jewish community after Jesus’ resurrection to drive home the reality that none of the Old Testament heroes were justified in the eyes of God based solely on their own good works.  

So, exactly how were those Old Testament heroes justified before God? They were saved when they put their faith in God’s Word, which said that if they would repent and turn from their sin as He prescribed, He would forgive them. Again, it was not their works that saved them but their faithful belief that God’s Word was true. That faith motivated their works and met His standards. Works must follow faith, but faith does the heavy lifting. Otherwise, a person with no faith in God could do certain prescribed actions and be saved without believing in God. As one pastor put it, “We are not saved by faith & works. Rather, we are saved by faith that works!”  Notice how the Apostle John introduced Jesus as “the Word” in his gospel.  

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1;14 (NKJV)

So, what does the Bible say we must do to be saved in our generation? We must believe God’s Word. The Bible says that God loves the world and desires to forgive sinners who are willing to repent. (John 3:16)  We must repent (turn from our sin), placing our faith in Jesus, that He paid our sin debt by dying on the cross and was raised from the grave. By God’s grace, we are saved when the object of our faith is Jesus’ work, not our own. By His work, we stand blameless before God! By faith in Jesus’ work, we are made righteous, and that motivates our good works.

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the Lord? There they are in great fear, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You shame the counsel of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” Psalm 14:1-7 (NKJV)

Several years ago, while I was living in California and teaching Bible studies in various coffee shops, a young man got quite angry at me when I put forth that certain psalms were prophetic…speaking of the Messiah (Jesus, who would come many generations later) and of other events that did not occur until after the psalmists had passed. Of course, I shared today’s Psalm, along with a few others, and posed the question: Were the people of Israel in exiled captivity during David’s lifetime? Undeniably, no, they were not.

In trying to understand today’s psalm, perhaps it helps to read it in reverse. Because if we read it from the top down, we tend to get stuck on the idea that all men have turned aside and become corrupt. It is not until later in the psalm that we recognize there is a “generation of the righteous.”  So, if all men are corrupt and do not seek God, how does a righteous generation arise? Of course, by the end of the psalm, we learn that salvation comes not from the works of unrighteous men but rather from the atoning work of the Lord Himself. Only then, when the Lord saves, will captives truly be set free, for the captivity of God’s people is not solely defined as unwilling restraint by a foreign people. Our true captivity, which ALL MANKIND holds in common, is the captivity of sin & death. Both have been defeated on the cross by the Lord Himself, Messiah Jesus! (Micah 5:2; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Notice how the prophet Isaiah describes that “generation” for which the Messiah atones.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked—but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”  Isaiah 53:6-10 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Psalm 13. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.” Psalm 12:6-7 (NKJV)

Today, let’s start with the positive message of this psalm: God will preserve His Word throughout the generations, even unto eternity! College professors, entertainment stars, business giants, and militant false religions may war against the Bible. They may seek to silence and destroy those of us who commit our lives to faithfully submit our lives to the Word, but God will preserve it. Sure, we may train ourselves to “defend” the faith, but God will personally sustain it! By way of spiritual oppression, what we see may appear to be insurmountable mountains of opposition all around us. But God only sees grass that needs to be mowed! In fact, the Lord told the prophet Isaiah to tell the people who considered themselves too highly that they were merely grass in His sight.

“The voice said, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry? All flesh is grass,

And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, and the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.’” Isaiah 40:6-8 (NKJV)

The Hebrew word for “breath” or “wind/air” is Ruach. It is also the word for “spirit.” So, when the Lord says that He blows on the grass and the grass (even the more flowery grass) dies, He is saying that by His “Ruach HaKodesh” (Holy Spirit), He establishes men, allowing them to have glory (flower). Furthermore, He brings them to their end. Meanwhile, His Word, which seemed (in the short term) to be on the verge of extinction, keeps on keepin’ on!

When Godly men pass away, we tend to fret that the light of the gospel and the preaching of the Word will cease. Notice David’s anxiety.

“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’… The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.” Psalm 12:1-4; 8 (NKJV)

There is the long-fought struggle…and then God weighs in. The time of our faithful wait is over, as God Himself brings His faithful Word to pass! Are you waiting in faith for God to deliver you? Hold on! He is faithful to complete what He has called us to.

 “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” Psalm 12:5 (NKJV)

“In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.”  Psalm 11:1-2 (NKJV)

A few years ago, my brother sent me a photo of a deer he shot with his bow. Unlike rifle hunting, the bow and arrow are silent killers. Due to the slower velocity of the arrow as compared to a rifle bullet, bow hunting demands the archer position strategically and wait patiently. The animal must get as close as possible before letting go of the string. TWANG! Thud. Bull’s-eye!

David uses the image of an archer to describe how the wicked are taking aim at him. The Bible describes how David was literally hunted by his enemies, stalking him with both literal arrows and figurative ones: injurious testimony and discouraging words. David’s response? He remembered the Word of the Lord, the foundation of our faith, and God’s promise to those who pursue righteousness.  

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  Psalm 11:3 (NKJV)

If we depart from the Bible, what foundation can we stand upon when it seems no hope is in sight? If we have forsaken God’s Word, where do we turn when we need to be encouraged and refreshed? What well can we drink from if we have left the source of Living Water?

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13 (NKJV)

God’s Word declares that we can stand firm and have joy when all around us seems hopelessly dark. We remember that the Lord sees us and has the power and determination to save His own people in the time and manner He determines!

“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked, He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.”  Psalm 11:4-6 (NKJV)

It is our memory of Scripture that calms our hearts in these days when it seems that followers of Jesus are perpetually “in season  .”Wicked men seek to destroy the faithfulness of God’s Word by hunting His people. Still, we take heart knowing a righteous Judge presides over His creation and delights in His righteous ones.

“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.” Psalm 11:7 (NKJV)

“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble? he wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.”  Psalm 10:1-2 (NKJV)

“Why, Lord?”  It is the age-old question that shows no signs of going out of style. Who can know the mind of God that they could call His character into account? He has an aerial view of time (accompanied by a precise, detailed knowledge of how creation was designed) that our imaginations and calculations could never envision. He knows the cause-and-effect nature of circumstances concerning world happenings, and He ALWAYS chooses to act (or not) correctly. No degree or error. Still, we are human, so we ask, “Why?”

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)

Consider the conversation between Moses and the children of Israel when Pharaoh overtook them as they fled in the Exodus, hemmed in at the edge of the Red Sea. Does it not mimic David’s internal struggle in Psalm 10?

“And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, “Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.’ And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’”  Exodus 14:10-14 (NKJV)

“Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble. Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, ‘You will not require an account.’ But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness until You find none. The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations have perished out of His land. Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more.”  Psalm 10:12-18 (NKJV)

Whatever you are going through, remember that the Lord knows. Cry out in prayer and know that He is there. He is holy, cares, and has the power to affect change!

“The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. The judgment knows the Lord He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. MEDITATION. (Selah) The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah” Psalm 9:15-20 (NKJV)

As David said, the Lord is known by the judgment He executes. But “judgment” is often misunderstood to mean “angry vengeance.” Indeed, most Christians hold an opinion of God that He was always angry in the Tanakh (Old Testament). God did not change His image at halftime, between the Old & New Testaments, emerging from the locker room as a cuddly grandfather. It is easy to have this opinion of God if our only source of Biblical understanding is listening to the occasional sermon in the average church. But, when we take time to read the Bible for ourselves, the Holy Spirit reveals that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6 (NKJV)

Furthermore, since Jesus is God, made flesh, He never changes.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

So, all throughout the Bible, God judges righteously. He gives grace to the humble and repentant, and he rebukes and punishes the proud and unrepentant. We should reflect on that. As a matter of fact, David even instructs the musicians to add a solo section (“Higgaion”:  Hebrew for “meditation”) where the worshipper can ponder God’s judgment & mercy, which should result in our praise: Selah.

Again, God is not only angry in the Old Testament; He is also gracious and merciful. He cares for widows, orphans, wild animals and even foreign refugees.

“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people. When He avenges blood, He remembers them; he does not forget the cry of the humble. Have mercy on me, O Lord! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.” Psalm 9:9-14 (NKJV)

Have you put your faith & trust in the Lord? If so, He both cares and fights for you!

“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants, You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” Psalm 8:1-2 (NKJV)

The great value of the gift of the Holy Spirit, given to all followers of Jesus at the moment of their decision to believe, is that He reveals the truth of God’s Word.  

“But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NKJV)

And one of the ways the Spirit teaches us is to “whisper” in our hearts and minds as we read the Bible. The Holy Spirit whispers how we should apply Scripture to change our lives to align ourselves with God’s will. He warns us of the world around us by revealing how present-day scenarios mimic ancient scenarios so that we can expect predictable outcomes. And He brings us to a recollection of things we have read earlier in the Bible so we can spot Biblical trends that run throughout Scripture. Reading today’s passage, we should hear a whisper, asking, “Where have you seen ‘mouth of babes’ before?”

“But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant and said to Him, ‘Do You hear what these are saying?’

And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes. Have you never read, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise”’?”  Matthew 21:15-16 (NKJV)

What does “Hosanna” mean? It means “Save us now!”  So, in quoting Psalm 8, Jesus clarifies that the “strength” that comes out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants is the declaration that Messiah is the source of that saving strength and that He is Messiah! In directing their praise to Jesus, those children (along with adults) declared that Jesus was the Messiah, coming to save His people.  

Furthermore, Jesus’ name in Hebrew, Yeshua, means “YHWH (God) is our salvation  .”So, when the children were directing their praise “Hosanna” at Jesus, they were literally declaring His deity, “God is our salvation; save us now!”  That perfectly aligns with who the Hebrew prophets knew that Messiah would be: God made flesh. (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 9:6). No wonder the religious leaders sought to silence the children. When they read Psalm 8, they focused on “What is man that you are mindful of Him and the son of man that you visit him?”, thus missing the Messiah, whom even a child could see!  (Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:7)

“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!”  Psalm 8:9 (NKJV)

“Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart. God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”  Psalm 7:9-11 (NKJV)

Today’s psalm is a “meditation of David” sung to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. We do not know much about this fellow, Cush, other than the fact that he was from the tribe of Benjamin. But that actually tells us quite a bit about his character and allegiances. At the time of David’s writing of this psalm, the tribe of Benjamin had just come out of a very dubious season in Israel’s history. The book of Judges ends with the tribe of Benjamin’s war against the rest of the tribes of Israel. Benjamin had refused to hold rapists and murderers accountable within their tribe. While the war began in Benjamin’s favor, were it not for God’s merciful intervention, Benjamin would have been eliminated as a tribe. We know that King Saul was a Benjamite, and he was pursuing David to kill him. Saul was controlling not just the army of Benjamin but the rest of Israel’s troops as well.

We also know what Cush was saying about David because David asks God to weigh Cush’s false accusations and judge fairly.

“O Lord my God, if I have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands, if I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, or have plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; yes, let him trample my life to the earth, and lay my honor in the dust.  Selah” Psalm 7:3-5 (NKJV)

We will meet some people in life, and they will form false assumptions about us. They will observe our lives and string together false assumptions about our characters. It is like the neighborhood kids who pass by an old widow’s run-down house, observe her overgrown yard, rusty gate, and cats moving through the bushes, and assume she is a witch. It is wrong to make such judgments, but how they develop is understandable. Such judgments could be reversible if the kids simply met the old lady and discovered she is actually very kind.

Then, there are other people who are simply prejudiced and envious. ENVY is PRIDE wounded in competition. That was Cush. He was just plain mean! Cush knew that David had fallen out of favor with Saul, and he tried to earn Saul’s favor by lying about David’s character and behavior. It is good to know that when we have nobody to defend us, we can appeal to the Lord! He is more than capable of judging wisely and delivering the oppressed. (Romans 12:9; Deuteronomy 32:35) Therefore, we can find joy even in the midst of unjust persecution.

“I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalm 7:17 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Psalm 6. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my face.”  Psalm 5:4-8 (NKJV)

The holiness of God is incomparable to mankind. That truth is often confusing when God determines to bestow mercy on some men while sternly judging others. Our great existential predicament is that we are all sinful and imperfect creatures (Romans 3:23). Yet, His standard for communing with us is that we must be perfect (Matthew 5:48). In today’s passage, David, a sinner like the rest of mankind, is beseeching the Lord to make a judgment between himself and men who are seeking to kill him. What is intriguing to us is how David asks the Lord to distinguish his pursuers as deserving of judgment while he expects God’s mercy for himself.

Indeed, some people believe their personal righteousness deserves God’s reward, yet they will not receive it. Consider the words of Jesus concerning the arrogance of unbelievers expecting an eternal reward.

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Mathew 7:23 (NKJV)

Does this mean we are all doomed sinners, fated to eternal damnation for falling short of God’s standard? Absolutely not! We have a choice.

“Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” Ezekiel 33:11(NKJV)

The fact that we are sinners does not exclude us from the hope of salvation. But it is not our accumulation of personal righteousness that saves us. Instead, it is the object of our faith, Jesus, who saves us! He has paid the penalty our sin deserves, and moreover, He imputes (accredits) His righteousness to us when we place our trust in Him, alone, for our salvation.  

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:8) (NKJV)

How could David confidently make a distinction between himself and other men? Because He had chosen to follow the Lord, as revealed in His Word. The same is true for us.  

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” John 1:12 (John 1:1;14) (NKJV)

“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame?  How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?  (Selah)” Psalm 4:1-2 (NKJV)

It has never been easy to live faithfully in the world. Never, ever. As far back as the book of Genesis, people of unbelief & half-hearted devotion toward God have been at war against people with whole-hearted faithfulness. Cain killed his brother Abel out of envy because God favored Abel’s devotion. So why would we be surprised when a modern-day college professor, politician, or filmmaker would seek to destroy the faith of Christians? While unrighteous men have always sought to tarnish the “glory” of God’s children, the Lord has always been inclined to hear the prayers of His people. God delivers us, and He “re-polishes” our glory through redemption.  

King David may not have written the music to “The Safety of The Faithful” in Psalm 4, but he certainly lived out the theology it communicates! David had survived the pursuit of Saul. God’s faithfulness to His Word to David grew David’s faith to the extent that David understood this…while we do not know what the future holds, we place our confidence in The One who holds the future. In that knowledge, there is a peace that calms us, even in the midst of great conflict.  

“But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  (Selah)” Psalm 4:3-4 (NKJV)

It is possible to be angry and indignant about injustice and not to sin. The wise and faithful know not to be driven by the flesh but rather to seek the Lord in how to respond. Also, God’s favor cannot be bought nor coerced through hasty repentance, which only turns back to worldliness once the difficulty subsides. God knows the differences between anxious “turning from sin” and true repentance. We may pray the Aaronic blessing (“Lift up Your countenance upon us” Numbers 6:22-27) over people, but only those judged by God as righteous may receive the blessing.

“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say, ‘Who will show us any good?’ Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.”  Psalm 4:5-6 (NKJV)

When we meditate on God’s Word and His past faithfulness, we find joy. Literally, the peace which passes understanding.  (Philippians 4:6-7)

“You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:7-8 (NKJV)

“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, ‘There is no help for him in God.’ (Selah) But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. (Selah) I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; you have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is up on Your people. (Selah)” Psalm 3:1-8 (NKJV)

I am embarrassed to admit it, but my wife and I used to own a little Chihuahua. She was 50% tremble and 50% rage. The typical Chihuahua is a Pit Bull cursed with a Guinea Pig’s body. A few years ago, we noticed our Chihuahua’s breath was increasingly horrible, so we took it to the veterinarian. Turns out, the dog had severe gum disease that required the vet to pull every tooth from the dog’s mouth! I used to be hesitant to pet the dog for fear of getting bitten. Not after that! The dog could bristle, growl, bark, and bite. It just couldn’t do any damage.

This is like the picture the Lord is painting with David’s psalm. God had broken the teeth of David’s enemies and took the bite right out of them! And He does exactly the same for us through Messiah Jesus.

“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus, Messiah.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NKJV)

And who were David’s enemies? At the time this psalm was penned, David was pursued by his own son, Absalom (along with the majority of Israel who had previously pursued David under Saul’s reign). Why would a man’s own son seek to kill him? Well, the short version is that God punished David for killing Uriah the Hittite, whose wife, Bathsheba, David, had gotten pregnant. God told David that people from within his own house would rise up against him. So, was that it for David? Was there no forgiveness for him? David was a broken man, and he sought the Lord’s forgiveness. However, he did not want to presume the Lord owed him anything. Consider David’s words as he fled Jerusalem as compared to Psalm 3.

“And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness. There was Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city. Then the king said to Zadok, ‘Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place. But if He says thus: “I have no delight in you,” here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.’” 2 Samuel 15:23-26 (NKJV)

“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.’” Psalm 2:1-3 (NKJV)

I have heard it said by various church leaders that Christians should be known more for what they are “for” than what they are “against  .”Their point is that Christians have a negative image in the world and that non-believers’ perception of us is that we are always negative: “Don’t do this or that….”  That may be the case in some instances. I have met quite a few negative, unloving Christians. However, the cure for the world’s perception of us is not that we must engage in increased levels of positive conversation. They will rage against us regardless! The psalmist (in this case, David) tells us that the nations have ALWAYS plotted against the Lord and His people, not because of our rhetoric, but because they perceive God’s Word as restraining them from the so-called “happiness’ offered by Satan and his demonic fleshly influence in the world. Satan always promises high and delivers low.

The reality is that God does not “bind us in cords” to keep us from enjoying life, as the world suggests. Yes, God’s Word (including our freedom in Christ) commands us to be disciplined and adhere to certain restrictions and prohibitions. Those guidelines are given to enhance and ensure our joy, not keep us from it! He describes His Word as leading us gently, with bands of love, not dragging (or restricting) us from fun.

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. As they called them, so they went from them; they sacrificed to the Baals, and burned incense to carved images. I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.”  Hosea 11:1-4 (NKJV)

The prophet Hosea described how the Northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) had forsaken God, choosing the so-called “unrestricted freedom” of worldly idolatry against the ordered worship of the Lord. In the end, Assyria (whose false gods Ephraim had worshipped) defeated the Northern kingdom and took them away captive. The world’s promised freedom always leads to bondage far worse than any “burden” the Lord would require. Satan only seeks to trap and control you, keeping you from the blessings of a Godly life. Perhaps that is why Jesus’ words were so comforting to many people in His generation and ours as well.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1 (NKJV)

As a young recording artist, I received some veteran advice from an older colleague: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. This artist communicated the reality that most first-time concertgoers form their opinions of your music before your first song ends. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you immediately seize their attention, earn their trust, and establish your message within the first three minutes. No pressure, right? And musical “first impressions” are powerful in our culture. Most churchgoers will not download their pastor’s sermon and listen to it over and over the following week. However, they will go to a music streaming website and listen to worship music. That is why it is so important that the music we sing also communicates the correct theology. Martin Luther said, “Music is the handmaiden of theology,” but for some people, music is their primary source of reinforced theology, especially for young believers who have yet to form the habit of daily Bible study.

So, when it comes to “first impressions,” what is God communicating to His people within the first line of the first song in Israel’s hymnal? Seeking and living according to His Word is paramount for success in life! Notice how He describes a pattern of decline whenever people seek “ungodly” counsel. And what makes counsel ungodly? It simply denies God’s Word. The moment we replace God’s Word, the Bible, with some extra-Biblical source, we are replacing the pursuit of Godly blessing with Worldly goals. Ungodly counsel segregates God from certain areas of our lives where we feel He may hinder progress and sends us into a downward moral trajectory, where we go from seeking non-Biblical counsel to actually “standing” in the path of sinners and being more comfortable around non-believers than among Christians who seek God’s Word.

The longer we live not just among the ungodly but literally “becoming as” the ungodly, the more we become solidified in the world’s value system. Increasingly ungodly values spiral us even further down to the point where we become fully established, sitting in the “seat of the scornful.” This means that we have descended, Biblically, to the point where we are actually mocking and scorning Christians who believe the Bible and are striving to live according to it!

For those of us who have determined to seek God’s Counsel, we begin to spiral upward spiritually. We become more established in a faith that does not defer hope. Instead, God proves Himself faithful to our pursuance of Him.

“But his [the blessed man’s] delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night.”  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:2-3 (See also Revelation 22:1-3) (NKJV)

“The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”  Psalm 1:4-6 (NKJV)

“Then at last, Job gave the Lord this answer: ‘I know that You can do everything, that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. You asked, “Who is this, hiding his counsel, without having knowledge?” Yes, I spoke, without understanding, of wonders far beyond me, which I didn’t know.  Please listen, and I will speak.  You said, “I will ask questions and you, give Me answers” – I had heard about You with my ears, but now my eyes see You; therefore I detest myself and repent in dust and ashes.’” Job 42:1-6 (CJB)

Growing up, I loved old-school horror movies, films like the original Dracula, the Mummy, Creature From The Black Lagoon, and, of course, Frankenstein. An interesting moral in the Frankenstein narrative is that a well-intended person can create something that gets so out of control that it eventually destroys its creator.

In a rebuke that lasts five chapters, God instructs Job that He created everything and that everything He made is entirely under His control. Even great beasts like Leviathan and Behemoth must answer to the Lord. Scholars have debated over the identities of these creatures. Some say they are a whale and a crocodile. Others believe they are a dinosaur and a giant squid. Still, others suggest they are symbols of sin and the Devil. It doesn’t matter what they are as long as we understand they are under God’s control!

There is so much in this World that we do not understand, and it is comforting that we are not required to know everything about everything. Have you ever gone out with friends and, while you were out together, something so incredible happened that you can’t stop talking about it? Then, when another friend asks what you are talking about, you say, “We can’t explain it; you just had to be there….” That is how it is with God. He tells us all that we NEED to know about Him, but not ALL there is to know about Him. We simply cannot understand some things, such as what existence was like before creation. Or the sound it made when the land was separated from the ocean. We just had to be there. But we weren’t.

It is much the same situation when we share the gospel with non-believers. How can we convey what it is like to know and follow God through a saving relationship with Messiah Jesus? It cannot fully be described, as all analogies end up falling short of the real thing. God cannot be fully appreciated in theories and descriptions. A relationship with God must be lived.  Our relationship with Him must be personal. (John 14:6)

And that is what Job has been doing for 42 chapters, living out his faith in the worst situations. Job’s faith has been tested to the point that it is realized as fact.  Job held on, and God showed up.  That is Job’s confession in today’s passage:

“I had heard about You with my ears, but now my eyes see You; therefore, I detest myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6 (CJB)

Are you experiencing difficulty in your faith journey? Hold on! Trust the Lord and His Word and keep pressing on until He shows up and proves His Word true in your life.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Job 41. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“The Lord answered Job out of the storm. Stand up like a man and brace yourself. I will ask questions; and you will give the answers! Are you falsely attacking my justice?  Putting Me in the wrong will prove yourself right? Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like His? Come on, deck yourself with majesty and dignity, robe yourself in glory and splendor. Let loose your furious anger, look at all who are proud, and humble them. Look at all who are proud and bring them down; tread down the wicked where they stand. Bury them in the ground together, bind their faces in the hidden world. If you do this, then I will confess to you that your own power can save you.” Job 40:6-14 (CJB)

In today’s passage, in essence, God is telling Job, “Everybody wants My job, but nobody can do it!” Whenever we are in the midst of hardship, why is there always some part of us that wants to indict God’s character? We want to claim that God is not being fair or that He is too busy or blind to see us. Perhaps He has the will, but sometimes we wonder if He actually has the power to affect change.

Because we know that God can alleviate suffering, we spend much of our time on earth frustrated that we are not where we feel we should be. Sometimes, the world doesn’t make sense, and God allows wicked people to prosper. Basically, we have seen the system manipulated so many times in the world that we wonder why the rules can’t be bent for us. In short, that kind of attitude communicates one thing: we want to be our own god! But honestly, we only want to determine our destinies until things get over our heads. And things can get over our heads pretty quickly! Not only can you not be God, but it is also impossible for you to be your own savior.

“If you do this, then I will confess to you that your own power can save you.” Job 40:14 (CJB)

For a moment, ponder the gravity of that statement. Only God can save a man. Man cannot save himself. Now consider that if only God can save a man, who must the Savior of all mankind be? Some believe Jesus was a good man, perhaps the best man who ever lived. They even claim that Jesus is the Messiah (the salvation of both Jew & Gentile), but in their ignorance of Scripture, they deny His deity.  

“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.” Micah 5:2  (see also: John 1:1-14; 10:17-18a)

Because Jesus is God, made flesh, He has both the power & authority to save not only Himself but all mankind as well!

“This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” John 10:17-18 (HCSB)

“Did you give the horse its strength? Did you clothe its neck with a mane? Did you make him able to leap like a locust? Its majestic snorting is frightening! It paws with force and exults with vigor, then charges into battle; mocking at fear, unafraid, it does not shy away from the sword. But the rider’s quiver rattles over it, his gleaming spear and javelin.  Frenzied and eager, it devours the ground, scarcely believing the trumpet has sounded. At the sound of the shofar it whinnies: as from afar it scents battle, the roar of the chiefs and the shouting.” Job 39:19-25 (CJB)

In today’s chapter, the Lord asks for Job’s knowledge and understanding of eight of His creatures. Job is given a pop quiz concerning the birth of mountain goats & deer that live among treacherous cliffs. He speaks of the impossibility of taming wild donkeys and oxen. The Lord asks if Job has knowledge of the ostrich, which has wings but no wisdom, compassion, or understanding. He points out the wisdom of the hawk and eagles, and in today’s passage, the Lord describes the horse.

Speaking of horses, I grew up in Arkansas and Louisiana horse country. I appreciate the beauty of a horse. In the words of American orator Will Rogers, “There is nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.” That being said, I also know how dangerous horses can be. A college friend of mine was killed when the horse he was riding was startled and bucked him off.

Horses under submission are very useful, but an un-submissive horse is dangerously unreliable, useful for nothing. The term horse trainers use for taming a horse is “making him meek.” Meekness is power under submission. When considering God’s description of the horse in today’s passage, I am reminded of myself as a young believer. I had a lot of energy and zealous passion, but I had to learn to submit to Jesus.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 (NIV)

Jesus’s words were a quote from the Psalms and were intended to contrast those Israelites who made themselves meek to the Lord against those who rejected submission and pursued evil. If you remember, it was Israel’s refusal to submit to God that led to their being conquered and deported. God promised that if Israel repented, they would be restored to the land.

“For evildoers will be cut off, but those hoping in the Lord will inherit the land. Soon, the wicked will be no more; you will look for his place, and he won’t be there. But the meek will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” Psalm 37:9-11 (CJB)

Have you made yourself “meek” by placing yourself under submission to the Lord’s Word? Or are you still trying to do something big for God in your own way by your own power? When we submit and seek to do the Lord’s work the Lord’s way, we find ourselves resting in the Lord’s peace. God is teaching Job to be meek, surrendering himself to the Lord’s gracious “bridle” so he could be led and not try to seize the reigns.

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm: ‘Who is this, darkening my plans with his ignorant words? Stand up like a man and brace yourself; I will ask questions; and you, give the answers!’” Job 38:1-3 (CJB)

In reading Job, it is easy to get the impression that Satan is taking advantage of God and the Lord is passively standing by. It is as if God has been conned by the Devil, pick-pocketed, as it were, and robbed of His best follower. But that is not the case. Satan may be taking advantage of the situation, but he is not taking advantage of God. We must remember that it was God who brought Job into the conversation.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’; Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’” Job 1:6-8 (NASB)

So, now we see that it was God’s idea. It sounds cruel - as it no doubt felt to Job - but if God allowed it, Job’s suffering must have ultimately been a good thing. For one thing, at the pinnacle of his suffering, Job uttered these words:

“And to human beings, He said, ‘Look, to fear the Lord is wisdom!  Shunning evil is understanding!’” Job 28:28 (CJB)

We began this probe into Job’s story with a simple thought: FAITH is not FACT until it is TESTED. At the beginning of the book of Job, God declares that Job was “a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil.” Of course, it is easier to be blameless and upright when the times are good! But what if you stripped a man of all his worldly possessions and brought a man to the brink of death? That was basically Satan’s argument to God. Through it all, Job never stopped fearing God, nor did he ever embrace evil.  

In the beginning, Job’s faith was mainly a theory, but by the end, Job had the most valuable knowledge available. Job’s faith was the real thing. God knew it from the beginning, Satan learned it, and (most importantly) Job learned it, but Job still didn’t understand why all this was happening. I am certain he understood after the following conversation with the Lord!!

In today’s passage, the Lord says, “Who is this, darkening My plans with his ignorant words?”  It was God’s plan, not Satan’s, for Job to undergo such tribulation. Therefore, it was ultimately for good.  (Romans 8:28)

Do you feel like you are in the “olive press,” being squeezed for no apparent reason?  When what we believe is not what we feel, and we still hold on, that is when we truly know for certain that we’ve got the real stuff!

“Teach us what we should tell Him, for the darkness keeps us from organizing our case. Is He to be told that I will speak? Can a man speak at all when he is already swallowed up? Now people don’t see the light, which is bright in the sky; but then the wind blows and clears the clouds away. Out of the north comes a golden glow, fearsome majesty surrounding God. Shaddai, whom we cannot find, whose power is immense in His great righteousness does not pervert justice. This is why people fear Him; He does not consider those who think of themselves as wise.” Job 37:19-24 (CJB)

In today’s passage, Job’s friend Elihu takes one final stab and accuses Job. His basic ongoing indictment is that Job is undergoing judgment for his sin by the righteous Judge. As we remember, Elihu is the more mystical and spiritual of Job’s friends. But as far back as chapter 4, Elihu reveals the source of his theology: Satan.

“For a word was stealthily brought to me, my ear caught only a whisper of it. In passing thoughts flashing through visions at night, when sleep lies heavy on people, a shiver of horror came over me; it made all my bones tremble. Then a spirit passed in front of my face; the hair on my flesh stood on end. It stood still, but I couldn’t make out its appearance; yet the form stayed there before my eyes. Then I heard a subdued voice, ‘Can a human be seen by God as righteous? Can a mortal be pure before his maker? God doesn’t trust His own servants, He finds fault even with His angels; much more those living in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust.’” Job 4:12-19 (CJB)

I know it may be laboring that I continue to bring this up, but if we can pinpoint the source of Elihu’s counsel, we can comprehend the real agenda behind the conversation. The reader then must ask, “What is Satan trying to accomplish from this conversation?”  What is evil communicating? I believe Satan is envious of God’s affection towards humanity, and he cannot understand why God would condemn him to Hell yet choose to redeem sinful men & women.

Pay attention to Satan’s question in chapter 4:  “Can a human be seen by God as righteous? Can a mortal be pure before his maker? God doesn’t trust His own servants, He finds fault even with His angels; much more those living in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust.”  Job 4:17b-19 (CJB)

Compare that with Satan’s questioning in today’s passage: “Shaddai, whom we cannot find, whose power is immense in His great righteousness does not pervert justice. This is why people fear Him; He does not consider those who think of themselves as wise.” Job 37:23-24 (CJB)

Satan is telling his own story and trying to convince Job that they have common eternal destinations, so Job should just give up! Envy is pride wounded in competition, and Satan is envious and hates believers because we have attained, by God’s Grace, what he could not achieve, even with his great power and position.

“Those who have a godless heart harbor anger; even when God binds them, they do not cry for help. They die in their youth; their life ends among male cult prostitutes.  God rescues the afflicted by their affliction; He instructs them by their torment. Indeed, He lured you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and unconfined place.  Your table was spread with choice food. Yet now you are obsessed with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you. Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large ransom lead you astray. Can your wealth or all your physical exertion keep you from distress?” Job 36: 13-19 (HCSB)

Continuing from yesterday’s chapter, Elihu is proclaiming the goodness of God. Indeed, God is good, and for the most part, we find nothing wrong with Elihu’s proclamation, except for one majorly minor tidbit: Job is not being judged! So, while Elihu’s proclamations sound like praise, they expose a major error in his theology. Elihu’s faith (along with the rest of Job’s “friends”) could not comprehend the suffering of the righteous or the (worldly) prosperity of the wicked. He is not the only person in the Bible to wrestle with that concept. Consider these verses:

“Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?” Jeremiah 12:1 (NKJV)

“There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 8:14 (NKJV)

Our job is not to hold God accountable as if we could understand His ways and hold His wisdom and Lordship in contempt. Our job is to trust in His character (as articulated in His Word) and live obediently, knowing it will all make sense in eternity.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

Yes, God resists the proud, but His greatest delight is when sinners turn to Him.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10  (NKJV)

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 (NKJV)