Passage Read: Job 25-28
Meditation Verses: 27:2-6
Thought
Job understands that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and shunning evil is understanding. He understands that better than most. What many pay lip service to, Job has lived out. Such that he declares here that he will never admit he has sinned, as his friends accuse. He will never lie, even if he thought it would turn the hand of God away from him. He has done everything right, to the best of his understanding of what God desires. He has feared the Lord and shunned evil. He has done what is right at all times and his conscience doesn't condemn him. And as long as he lives, he will never do anything displeasing to the Lord, even lie about his righteousness. But because he believes righteous people should only enjoy peace and prosperity, he believes the Lord has been unjust to him. That's his only mistake. And that causes him no end of distress, perhaps more than all he's suffered.
Application
Righteousness is far more attainable than we're willing to believe or admit, because then we would condemn ourselves. Better to think we're victims of forces too great for us than admit that we love to do evil and are so unwilling to humble ourselves and submit to God. And discover that righteousness is not a matter of a contract with God: I do right and You bless me in every way. Rather it is an obligation, because we were created to bring God glory by our behavior, by our righteous living and by how we respond to good things and bad. We're supposed to reflect His righteousness back to Him, simply because He made us to be like Him! He will reward those who earnestly seek Him, there is that promise, but that does not mean He won't first take us through fire and flood to test the genuineness of our faith and determination to do right, come what may. I can and should walk in obedience to His commands, to love what He loves and live like He lived on this earth. I have no excuse not to. And I know clearly that all those who reject the Lord will hate me for doing so, so I shouldn't be surprised when things go against me, even though I walk in God's ways. They hated Jesus and killed Him; if I walk in His likeness, I shouldn't be surprised if I receive the same treatment.