Resolute
(S) Scripture
And Job continued his discourse:
"As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul,
as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils,
my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.
I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity.
I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.
Job 27:1-6 (NIV)
(O) Observation
Job's friends have accused him of unrighteousness. His wife has told him to "curse God and die". His friends are trying to give an explanation for his suffering and his wife wants an end to his suffering. Job refuses both. Job knows his heart and is confident in his God. In this passage he is answering his friends. He declares in no uncertain terms that he will continue to live a righteous life. He will not give in to the temptation to be bitter. He will not compromise his integrity. He is resolute in living a righteous and upright life before God.
(A) Application
I am impressed with the resolve in these verses. Job would not even entertain any other way of living. When those closest to him call into question his actions, he remains resolute. He will not defile his spirit and will not accept the accusations of his friends as being true. He knows his heart and actions are faithful and he will not turn from that. When my friends question my actions and motives I want to be as resolute as Job. I want to have lived in such a way that I can honestly be that resolute. Job was not being stubborn in a negative sense when he refused to take the counsel of his friends but rather he demonstrated the depth of his walk with God. I want to live that way so that when my life is challenges I can be as resolute as Job.
(P) Prayer
Father, my life is yours. Fill me with the Holy Spirit today and let me live for you. I want to walk so close to you that when questions come I can be as resolute in my faith and walk with you as Job was. Use me today. Amen
2 comments:
Pastor...I used to read this text as a contradiction in Job's character. On the one hand he says God is denying him justice and forcing him to taste bitterness. On the other hand he says he will not speak against God. Then I realized that in saying God denies him justice, he means that God is not supplying him with a just response in the sense of a rational explanation. The taste of bitterness refers to the pain and the anguish that he feels. Thus, no real contradiction exists. Correct?? Your Bud
I agree that no contradiction exists here. There is no contradiction because of Job's resolute decision to live a righteous life regardless of his circumstances and whether he understood them or not.
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