Tag: Job 29-31
A healthy self-examination!
Scripture reading for May 29th: Job 29-31
After all his friends were silent and their accusations ceased, Job was still suffering! He remembered his past time of blessing with a sense of joy. (Job 29) He was taunted by the young men of the city and then felt driven to do a self-examination and moral inventory. (Job 30:1) He had some inner convictions about what was good and evil. Job went over these convictions in a systematic way to be sure that he had not violated any of the things he knew were evil and that he had done those that were good. He was judging himself so that God would not judge him.
Job first dealt with his personal life. (Job 31:1-12) He was careful with his eyes, not to look lustfully on a woman. He stayed away from his neighbor’s wife. He knew that this would lead to trouble! He knew that sexual sin was something that God would judge! (Job 31:11) He also checked his honesty and truthfulness. God would weigh him with honest scales in this regard! (Job 31:5-6)
Job next dealt with his public life. (Job 31:13-23) He tested his heart for his treatment of his servants. Was he fair and respectful of them? He then looked to his treatment of the poor and orphan. Was he willing to give to help them with food and clothing? God was watching all of these and would judge! (Job 31:23)
Job also checked his spiritual life. (Job 31:24-40) How did he treat money? Was it a ‘god’ in his life? Did he secretly worship anything other than the God who created everything? He also checked his attitude about revenge. Vengeance belongs to the Lord–we must not get even or even rejoice over someone’s misfortune. How had he treated strangers? Were his motives pure in all that he did?
What an inventory! Take time today and allow this 4000 year-old inventory to give you insight into your own walk with God. Remember, Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins and if we confess them to Him, He will forgive us and cleanse us from all sin! (1st John 1:7-9)
Taking inventory!
Scripture reading for May 29th: Job 29-31
Soul-searching is a good thing for us if we can be honest with ourselves. We must have an understanding of “good” and “evil” before we can identify it in our life. If we have no core convictions of what is right and wrong, it is impossible to make progress. God has given each person a conscience that informs him in general of God’s law. But the conscience can be silenced because of repeated disobedience. We then need to go to God’s Word for the standard and re-activate the seared conscience by believing truth.
After enduring his friends accusations, Job was still suffering! He remembered his past time of blessing with a sense of joy. (Job 29) But the young men taunted him and he was driven to do a self-examination and moral inventory. (Job 30:1) We find Job going over his life actions in a systematic way to be sure that he had not forgotten anything. He was judging himself, so that God would not judge him. (1st Corinthians 11:31)
Job first dealt with his personal life. (Job 31:1-12) He was careful with his eyes, not to look lustfully on a woman. He stayed away from his neighbor’s wife. He knew that this would lead to trouble! He knew that sexual sin was something that God would judge! (Job 31:11) He also checked his honesty. God would weigh him with honest scales in this regard! (Job 31:5-6)
Job next dealt with his public life. (Job 31:13-23) He tested his heart for his treatment of his servants. Was he fair and respectful of them? He then looked to his treatment of the poor and orphan. Was he willing to give to help them with food and clothing? (Job 31:23)
Job also checked his spiritual life. (Job 31:24-40) How did he treat money? Was it a ‘god’ in his life? Did he secretly worship anything other than the God? He also checked his attitude about revenge. Vengeance belongs to the Lord–we must not get even or rejoice over someone’s misfortune. How had he treated strangers? Were his motives pure in all that he did?
What an inventory! Take time today and allow this 4000 year-old inventory to give you insight into your own walk with God. Remember, Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins and if we confess them to Him, He will forgive us and cleanse us from all sin! (1st John 1:7-9)
Taking a Moral Inventory
Scripture reading for May 29th: Job 29-31
It would be so easy to be right with God if we just had a checklist of things that pleased God. We could do the things that God said we must do and avoid those He said were sinful. In fact, we do have such instruction throughout the Bible, particularly in the Ten Commandments and the Great Commandments of Jesus Christ. (Exodus 20:1-17) (Matthew 22:37-39) However, in Job’s day, he must have had an understanding of what God considered right and wrong before any Scripture was published.
In chapter 31, Job takes an inventory of things that he believes to be wrong. Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look lustfully at a woman. He knew that this was the beginning of trouble in his life. The eyes are the window of the soul and what a man focuses them on goes into the heart and stirs up desire. Fornication and adultery for Job were shameful sins to be judged! (Job 31:8-12) They would ruin his own family and children and he understood that. Four thousand years later, mankind still has not grasped the understanding of this that Job possessed!
Job knew that he must deal justly with his servants. He knew that all men were made equal in God’s sight and that each person was formed in their mother’s womb. (Job 31:13-15) He also knew that he was responsible to help the poor, the widow, and the fatherless. God cares for these who are often mistreated and abused in society. He has placed within those who know Him, a desire to help the unfortunate. Social justice is found in Job’s heart 4000 years ago!
Job knew it was wrong to put trust in money or possessions. These could easily become idols that limit our understanding of the true God. He knew that creation was wonderful and special, but was not to be worshiped. God alone deserves our worship and anything else would be sin. (Job 31:24-28)
God writes His laws on our hearts and we each have a conscience to help us understand what God likes and dislikes. We can become hardened by sin and have our conscience seared. Job’s trial caused him to take moral inventory of his life and character. He wanted to be sure that he was living in a way that would please God. Why not try this today for yourself?
Taking inventory!
Scripture reading for May 29th: Job 29-31
Soul-searching is a good thing for us if we can be honest with ourselves. We must have an understanding of “good” and “evil” before we can identify it in our life. If we have no core convictions of what is right and wrong, it is impossible to make progress. God has given each person a conscience that informs him in general of God’s law. This can help guide us if we are sensitive and teachable. Sometimes this conscience is seared and is not active because of repeated disobedience and rebellion. We then need to go to God’s Word for the standard and re-activate the seared conscience by believing truth.
After all the friends are silent and their accusations cease, Job was still suffering! He remembered his past time of blessing with a sense of joy. (Job 29) He was taunted by the young men of the city and then felt driven to do a self-examination and moral inventory. (Job 30:1) He had some beliefs or core convictions about what was right and wrong, good and evil. We find Job going over these things in a systematic way to try to be sure that he had not forgotten anything. He was judging himself, so that God would not judge him.
Job first dealt with his personal life. (Job 31:1-12) He was careful with his eyes, not to look lustfully on a woman. He stayed away from his neighbor’s wife. He knew that this would lead to trouble! He knew that sexual sin was something that God would judge! (Job 31:11) He also checked his honesty and truthfulness. God would weigh him with honest scales in this regard! (Job 31:5-6)
Job next dealt with his public life. (Job 31:13-23) He tested his heart for his treatment of his servants. Was he fair and respectful of them? He then looked to his treatment of the poor and orphan. Was he willing to give to help them with food and clothing? God is watching all of these and will judge! (Job 31:23)
Job also checked his spiritual life. (Job 31:24-40) How did he treat money? Was it a ‘god’ in his life? Did he secretly worship anything other than the God who created everything? He also checked his attitude about revenge. Vengeance belongs to the Lord–we must not get even or even rejoice over someone’s misfortune. How had he treated strangers? Were his motives pure in all that he did? Job longed to be able to stand before God because he felt that he was doing what he knew to be right and avoiding evil!
What an inventory! Take time today and allow this 4000 year-old inventory to give you insight into your own walk with God. Remember, Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins and if we confess them to Him, He will forgive us and cleanse us from all sin! (1st John 1:7-9)