March 5, 2022

Passage Read: Job 5-8
Meditation Verses: 7:17-21

Thought

Even Job thinks he must have sinned, but he has no idea what. So to him it seems that God is constantly watching and looking for his every mistake, for his slightest failure. He has been working so hard to get things right, to please God, he even offers sacrifice for his children when they finish a round of feasting, just in case they sinned in the process. He has been so careful and now he is sure the Lord caught him in a sin and hammered him for it. But what sin? Only the Lord knows. And so his life seems so oppressive, with God constantly watching over his shoulder, not to encourage but to slam the first sin. Only that's not what God was doing at all. He was boasting about Job for his reverence and fear of Him. Surely Job would understand that, but he fell into the same trap that his friends were in: Bad things only happen to bad people.

Application

The Lord is watching over us, and He does keep a record of all our sins, if they have not been forgiven. But He actually watches over to help, to encourage and to prepare rewards. He grants mercy to the sinner, that they might repent and change their way, not to find reasons to destroy. He does bring discipline into the lives of those He loves, but it is to train them away from error and into righteousness. He is gentle with the humble and teachable. He is only harsh with those who remain stiff-necked after many rebukes. Job should have confidence that what has come upon him is not appropriate for any sin of his or appropriate for his character, so God must be doing something other than discipline. But instead, he falls into the trap of thinking evil of God because his life is not blessed and smooth. Judging God by how things go for me is a trap I too need to avoid.