A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers. The scripture is from our 16 August Sunday Service Bulletin. We are continuing on a multi-part series on Job. Some of the devotion thoughts were inspired and quoted using the footnotes in the LSB (pp836).
Old Testament Reading: Job 42
Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3’who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4’Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ 5I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
7After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer. 10And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. 12And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17And Job died, an old man, and full of days.
7After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer. 10And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. 12And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17And Job died, an old man, and full of days.
Devotion: “Full of Days”
Finally Job realizes, and has to admit, that he (and we) can’t comprehend God’s ways, primarily because sin is clouding our comprehension. Job could not save himself through any action of man, but by faith in God that He wants what is best for us. So much so that He surrendered His Son for us. Job forgave his friends following God’s example and prayed for them. This seems to show the transformation of his heart and the restoration of Job’s prosperity started immediately afterwards. However I do not believe that this was a reward for his piety but the indication that the trial was over. God can deal with anyone as He chooses for reasons only He knows, but He always deals justly. In the midst of all Job’s suffering comes the Redeemer offering restoration and a new beginning. God “owes” us nothing, the basis of our relationship is His grace. Our response should be trust and obedience. We may not be “full of days” like Job but He has prepared an amazing place for us when our earthly days are done.
Pray: Lord, teach us trust and obedience. Amen
Blessings,
Joe
1. Knowing yourself: I hope this series has helped you to reject the notion that, if you are suffering, you somehow brought it upon yourself and you are being punished. How can you fight this feeling? How can patience and prayers for fellow Christians play into this?
2. Scripture: How does Matthew 6:15 relate to Job 42: 10-17
3. Application: Do you think we all take our blessings for granted? What is our reaction if something happens that takes away or harms some of our family, friends or possessions? Can you relate this to what should be our reaction when things seems to be going wonderfully?