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Topic: Stick With God
[DCLM Daily Manna 13 August 2020 Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Job 27:1-10 (KJV)
1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
Key Verse: “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.” – (Job 27:6)
MESSAGE:
The best time to gauge the level of commitment you have towards God is when things are not going according to plans in your life. Such a time brings out the best or the worst in you. It shows a clearer expression of your faith or unbelief in God and His promises.
It was not different for Job. He had been experiencing severe affliction. His wife had turned against him for retaining his integrity and his friends had condemned him as a sinner. He came to a point when he began thinking that it was probably better if he had not been born. Yet in the face of physical and emotional pain, he vowed never to turn his back on God. Although he wrongly assumed that it was God that vexed his soul, he resolved not to utter wicked and deceitful words while he yet lived. He knew that such an action would only serve to justify the unwarranted condemnation from his friends. He would instead, retain his integrity and not abandon righteousness because of his suffering.
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ faced a terrible time also when He thought His heavenly Father had abandoned Him. But He knew the reason for His coming and realised that the redemption work would not be possible if He did not endure whatever pains that came His way. He endured and obtained the name above every other name. He now sits at the right hand side of God and He is coming again as the reigning King.
Righteousness is the believer’s badge of honour. And whatever our experiences in life, we must look beyond the immediate difficulties and please God. We must retain our faith in Him and shun all hypocritical lifestyle. We should trust Him to deliver us from the present troubles. And if in His sovereignty He fails to do so, we should be rest assured that He still has our best interest at heart.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God is with us when we are with Him!
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 7-10
