March 3, 2023

Passage Read: Job 5-8
Meditation Verse: 8:4

Thought

Wow, that is brutal! To tell someone in such distress straight out that their children obviously sinned and God killed them in an instant for it, that is merciless. And where is God's mercy? Doesn't Bildad recognize the grace of God to endure sinners that they might repent? No one talks about the children; they're like props in this story, but they were people! And they were crushed when their brother's house collapsed on them. Job always made sure to offer sacrifices for them, in case they sinned in their parties. They were either saved and granted rest while they wait for the completion of their salvation, or they were lost and would never repent; the Lord knows. But these guys are working from an incomplete understanding of God, an understanding that most people have still today! In truth, we have a fuller understanding of God, and know that He desires mercy not sacrifice, repentance not death.

Application

How hard it is to believe that someone could be righteous before God. We have been taught over and over again that such is impossible, despite Scripture declaring many righteous. Job is just one example, but still we push righteousness beyond the grasp of mere mortals. But that puts us in the camp of Job's friends, not Job. And we end up making righteousness impossible. Righteousness is both a gift by faith, and the behavior of one who possesses that gifted righteousness. It is possible to discipline our lives to walk in accordance with the righteousness that is given by faith; that is not legalism nor hypocrisy! Instead, we put righteous living into the realm of the impossible and give ourselves a license for laziness, which is no more than a license to pander to our flesh. God help us—or God help me because I'm delusional.