(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)
(Job 8:1-22) Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,
2 “How long will you say these things,
And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3 Does God pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?
4 If your sons sinned against Him,
Then He turned them over to the power of their wrongdoing.
5 If you will search for God
And implore the compassion of the Almighty,
6 If you are pure and upright,
Surely now He will stir Himself for you
And restore your righteous estate.
7 Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your end will increase greatly.
8 “Please inquire of past generations,
And consider the things searched out by their fathers.
9 For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are as a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you,
And bring forth words from their minds?
11 “Can papyrus grow tall without a marsh?
Can the rushes grow without water?
12 While it is still green and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant.
13 So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the godless will perish,
14 His confidence is fragile,
And his trust is a spider’s web.
15 He depends on his house, but it does not stand;
He holds on to it, but it does not endure.
16 He flourishes before the sun,
And his shoots spread out over his garden.
17 His roots wrap around a rock pile,
He grasps a house of stones.
18 If he is removed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’
19 Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And out of the dust others will spring.
20 Behold, God will not reject a person of integrity,
Nor will He help evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,
And your lips with joyful shouting.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the tent of the wicked will no longer exist.”
2 “How long will you say these things,
And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3 Does God pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?
4 If your sons sinned against Him,
Then He turned them over to the power of their wrongdoing.
5 If you will search for God
And implore the compassion of the Almighty,
6 If you are pure and upright,
Surely now He will stir Himself for you
And restore your righteous estate.
7 Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your end will increase greatly.
8 “Please inquire of past generations,
And consider the things searched out by their fathers.
9 For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are as a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you,
And bring forth words from their minds?
11 “Can papyrus grow tall without a marsh?
Can the rushes grow without water?
12 While it is still green and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant.
13 So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the godless will perish,
14 His confidence is fragile,
And his trust is a spider’s web.
15 He depends on his house, but it does not stand;
He holds on to it, but it does not endure.
16 He flourishes before the sun,
And his shoots spread out over his garden.
17 His roots wrap around a rock pile,
He grasps a house of stones.
18 If he is removed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’
19 Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And out of the dust others will spring.
20 Behold, God will not reject a person of integrity,
Nor will He help evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,
And your lips with joyful shouting.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the tent of the wicked will no longer exist.”
(Job 9:1-35) Then Job responded,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a person be in the right with God?
3 If one wished to dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 Wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has defied Him without harm?
5 It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know how,
When He overturns them in His anger.
6 It is He who shakes the earth from its place,
And its pillars tremble;
7 Who commands the sun not to shine,
And puts a seal on the stars;
8 Who alone stretches out the heavens,
And tramples down the waves of the sea;
9 Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the constellations of the south.
10 It is He who does great things, the unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.
11 If He were to pass by me, I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
12 If He were to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 “God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him the helpers of Rahab cower.
14 How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?
15 For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my Judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17 For He bruises me with a storm
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will not allow me to get my breath,
But He saturates me with bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
20 Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
21 I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I reject my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
23 If the whip kills suddenly,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth is handed over to the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
26 They slip by like reed boats,
Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.
27 Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put my face in order and be cheerful,’
28 I am afraid of all my pains,
I know that You will not acquit me.
29 I am guilty,
Why then should I struggle in vain?
30 If I washed myself with snow,
And cleansed my hands with lye,
31 Then You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would loathe me.
32 For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him—
That we may go to court together!
33 There is no arbitrator between us,
Who can place his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not the dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a person be in the right with God?
3 If one wished to dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 Wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has defied Him without harm?
5 It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know how,
When He overturns them in His anger.
6 It is He who shakes the earth from its place,
And its pillars tremble;
7 Who commands the sun not to shine,
And puts a seal on the stars;
8 Who alone stretches out the heavens,
And tramples down the waves of the sea;
9 Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the constellations of the south.
10 It is He who does great things, the unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.
11 If He were to pass by me, I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
12 If He were to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 “God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him the helpers of Rahab cower.
14 How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?
15 For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my Judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17 For He bruises me with a storm
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will not allow me to get my breath,
But He saturates me with bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
20 Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
21 I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I reject my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
23 If the whip kills suddenly,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth is handed over to the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
26 They slip by like reed boats,
Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.
27 Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put my face in order and be cheerful,’
28 I am afraid of all my pains,
I know that You will not acquit me.
29 I am guilty,
Why then should I struggle in vain?
30 If I washed myself with snow,
And cleansed my hands with lye,
31 Then You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would loathe me.
32 For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him—
That we may go to court together!
33 There is no arbitrator between us,
Who can place his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not the dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
(Job 10:1-22)
1 “I am disgusted with my own life;
I will express my complaint freely;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.
3 Is it right for You indeed to oppress,
To reject the work of Your hands,
And to look favorably on the plan of the wicked?
4 Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or do You see as mankind sees?
5 Are Your days like the days of a mortal,
Or Your years like a man’s year,
6 That You should search for my guilt
And carefully seek my sin?
7 According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is no one to save me from Your hand.
8 ‘Your hands fashioned and made me altogether,
Yet would You destroy me?
9 Remember that You have made me as clay;
Yet would You turn me into dust again?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk,
And curdle me like cheese,
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And intertwine me with bones and tendons?
12 You have granted me life and goodness;
And Your care has guarded my spirit.
13 Yet You have concealed these things in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14 If I have sinned, You will take note of me,
And will not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If I am wicked, woe to me!
But if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am full of shame, and conscious of my misery.
16 And should my head be high, You would hunt me like a lion;
And You would show Your power against me again.
17 You renew Your witnesses against me
And increase Your anger toward me;
Hardship after hardship is with me.
18 ‘Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
If only I had died and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been,
Brought from womb to tomb.’
20 Would He not leave my few days alone?
Withdraw from me so that I may have a little cheerfulness
21 Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and deep shadow,
22 The land of utter gloom like darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And it shines like darkness.”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
I will express my complaint freely;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.
3 Is it right for You indeed to oppress,
To reject the work of Your hands,
And to look favorably on the plan of the wicked?
4 Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or do You see as mankind sees?
5 Are Your days like the days of a mortal,
Or Your years like a man’s year,
6 That You should search for my guilt
And carefully seek my sin?
7 According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is no one to save me from Your hand.
8 ‘Your hands fashioned and made me altogether,
Yet would You destroy me?
9 Remember that You have made me as clay;
Yet would You turn me into dust again?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk,
And curdle me like cheese,
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And intertwine me with bones and tendons?
12 You have granted me life and goodness;
And Your care has guarded my spirit.
13 Yet You have concealed these things in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14 If I have sinned, You will take note of me,
And will not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If I am wicked, woe to me!
But if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am full of shame, and conscious of my misery.
16 And should my head be high, You would hunt me like a lion;
And You would show Your power against me again.
17 You renew Your witnesses against me
And increase Your anger toward me;
Hardship after hardship is with me.
18 ‘Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
If only I had died and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been,
Brought from womb to tomb.’
20 Would He not leave my few days alone?
Withdraw from me so that I may have a little cheerfulness
21 Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and deep shadow,
22 The land of utter gloom like darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And it shines like darkness.”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
God created us, and as "clay", when we put ourselves into His hands, He will mold us into vessels which can be used for building His kingdom. With or without us - God does great things! Far better for us to be serving God, than serving ourselves or someone or something else. Yet, to serve God, we need His help n order to help. Without God, we are helpless and hopeless.
It is in the process of being molded that we can experience pain and discomfort. In those times, it is so easy to feel abandoned and alone, especially if we get angry at God and stop looking to Him for our source of fulfillment, comfort and joy.
In verse 9:33, Job mentioned that there isn't any arbitrator between us and God, but there is. Jesus is our arbitrator when we become believers. God is both our attorney, mediator and our Judge, so we can be and should be seeking out God and asking Him for compassion, guidance and strength.
(Hebrews 4:14-16) Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.
(Romans 8:28) And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.(Hebrews 4:14-16) Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.
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