Scripture: Job 31-34.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Job 34:33 (NLT)

33 “Must God tailor his justice to your demands? But you have rejected him! The choice is yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us.

Job 34:36-37 (NLT)

36
Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked.

37
For you have added rebellion to your sin; you show no respect, and you speak many angry words against God.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

A point that became very evident to me as I read through these chapters this morning in Elihu response to Job’s ranting and raving. From the surface we can identify with how Job must have felt and his response for losing everything, including what appeared to him, even the presence, comfort and confidence of feeling like God was there with him. As Christians, we must be careful not to get like Job, where we feel we are being punished by God, and it bothers us because we can’t recall where we may have sinned against Him. In verse 33 I am reminded that I cannot coach God on how to punish me, for He alone is God, and He will not tailor His justice to my demands. I must be very careful to praise God in the good times, and especially during those times that I feel I am being unfairly treated, or punished by Him. I must remember that God is still God, and His love never fails. I love that song by Casting Crowns, “I will Praise You in the Storm“, for it is those times that I especially need to praise my Lord for loving me enough to discipline me. As I complete my reading of the book of Job, I am reminded that it is not up to the clay to tell the potter how it wants to be molded. I must therefore truly trust God and His rule over my life, through the good times and the bad. On the mountaintop and in the valley, God is in control and looking out for my good! Praise be to God!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father I thank You for the many times that it has been so evident that You are right there with me, protecting me, loving me and showing Your favor to me in so many ways. Thank You! I ask for Your forgiveness though for those times when I felt like the whole world was against me and from every appearance, I was on an island by myself. I am reminded that Your love and Your mercy endures forever and that You will correct as necessary and that I will be molded by both the good times and the times when it feels like I am doing life all by myself. Please remind me to stay focused on You in every phase of life and through every circumstance. Please especially give me strength to praise You in the storms of life, for it is especially then that I need Your favor, strength, wisdom and constant reminder of Your love. A couple of old hymns come to mind: “I Need Thee Every Hour”; and “Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior”.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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