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Topic: Not Just For God!
[DCLM Daily Manna 10 May 2020 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Job 22:1-20
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
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14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
KEY VERSE: “Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect?” (Job 22:3).
MESSAGE:
What do you think of a student who thinks that working hard at his studies in order to have an excellent result will be to the benefit of his teachers and so decides not to do so just to get at his teachers? This action will be considered foolish of the student. This is because one’s personal success or wellbeing is ultimately for one’s personal good and happiness.
This is the point Eliphaz tried to drive home in the passage today. Though he ignorantly wanted to prove to Job that he was suffering for his sins and that his claim to righteousness and perfection is of no importance to God, yet he underscores a very important point here. Man’s uprightness and righteous living does God no favour. It does not add to or remove anything from His Person.
When people understand this truth, they will not continue to think that they do God a favour by repenting and living a holy life. It is astonishing when some people begin to commit sin recklessly because they feel God has disappointed them. Just because answer to their prayer did not come early enough, they feel they can “punish” God by backsliding. How foolish! Who will face the punishment for such sinful lifestyle; God or such individuals?
It is true that the Lord is pleased with our holy living and has delights in it, but ultimately, the benefits of such lifestyle are ours. We reap the benefits of divine favour when we choose to obey and please Him. Therefore, God’s call and command for us to live holy lives is for our ultimate good not His. It is wise then to heed such call and daily ask for grace to please Him.
Thought For The Day: We live holy for our own profit.
The Bible In One Year: 1 Corinthians 8-11
