DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-04-24
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Job 4:2-7
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: You yourself have done this plenty of times, spoken words
    that clarify, encouraged those who were about to quit.
Your words have put stumbling people on their feet,
    put fresh hope in people about to collapse.
But now you’re the one in trouble—you’re hurting!
    You’ve been hit hard and you’re reeling from the blow.
But shouldn’t your devout life give you confidence now?
    Shouldn’t your exemplary life give you hope?
“Think! Has a truly innocent person ever ended up on the scrap heap?
    Do genuinely upright people ever lose out in the end?

OBSERVATION: Just as Eliphaz gave great advice to Job in his time of trouble, we too must look at our faith, and at our God when we face challenging times. Yes, our God took real good care of us when we were looking for a job, when our mother was sick, and when we were downhearted over life situations at church, but we must always be encouraged in knowing that our God is also big enough, and all powerful, to help us through Covid 19, or whatever else is challenging us today! Praise God, He never fails and He will be with us to the very end of time. Meditate with me as we look into this short Scripture!

APPLICATION: Right at the very beginning of the book of Job, we could read about how special Job was in the eyes of our God. His friends also knew how special Job was, and they were well aware of the faith that he exhibited on various occasions leading up to this testing that he was experiencing. In the chapter we are looking at today, Job’s friend, Eliphaz reminded Job about his faith, about his God, about all that God had done in his life, and about the exemplary life that Job had lived as a result of the close relationship he had with God. Doesn’t Job sound like us when tough times come our way? Covid reared its ugly head and surely we felt sorry for all those affected by it, and especially those who lost loved ones. But then, we heard from our employer that he would have to lay us off until after this awful virus passes by us. However the bills kept coming, it became harder to find groceries, and the kids became restless at home after a while. We may have even begun to wonder if God had left the scene, so we could suffer a little while. Did God forget us? Why would He see us suffer? I’m sure there were multiple other questions that arose, but did you stay true to your private time with God? Remember, being a follower of Christ means that you are in a relationship with the ‘Great I Am’, and not just knowing a puppet whose string you could pull, as necessary. Being in a relationship means that you might talk to God about what is going on and about what is troubling you. As you reflect on your experience to date with God, you may gain confidence today in remembering that the awesome God who saw you through struggles earlier in your relationship with Him, is the same God that also made a way for the Israelites to cross the Jordan River, who gave sight to the blind and brought Lazarus back to life again. He’s still God and He’s still on the throne handling our situation today. Why not ease your stress by having a little talk with Jesus, tell Him all about your struggles and concerns and about how your life is impacted in this time of pandemic. I can confidently tell you dear friend, that He is still our miracle working God – One who is concerned about His children and all that they are encountering right now. I believe that He will stretch out His hands and gently reassure you that every little thing is going to be OK, because He’s got this. He promised us very early in His Word that He would not place more on us than we are able to handle. And I know that without our hand in His, there is nothing that we can’t walk through together. Be reassured of whose you are, my friend, and remind yourself of all that He is, so that you can be comforted in how you will make it through your struggles today, and tomorrow.

PRAYER: I love that old hymn ‘Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine’, because it reminds me to whom I belong! Thank You Heavenly Father for watching over me in the good times, and yes, especially in the times that I feel are tough times. With the reminder, and assurance that heaven is my ultimate home, where I will rest eternally in the arms of Jesus, I gain the strength that I need to make it through times like we are facing currently, where there seems to be no cure for our diseases and therefore little hope of doctors saving loved ones. Lord, I pray that all those reading this devotional will be encouraged to know that nothing that we tend to worry about affects the Creator of this universe! God is still on the throne and one day He will return to take His children home to glory where we will be with You for eternity! Praise God for His wondrous love. Lord, please melt the hearts of those unable to call You ‘Father’, because they have never invited You to be their Lord and Savior. Oh that today may be the day of salvation for them, I pray in deepest sincerity and utmost urgency, from the bottom of my heart. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!