Light Through The Darkness

King James Bible Study Daily Devotional

**** The daily Bible reading schedule has been changed as follows: Each day will include the Proverb and Psalm of the day, Scripture reading will remain in Chronological order from Genesis to Revelation (except Psalms & Proverbs) on Monday thru Saturday, Sunday's reading will only be the Proverb and Psalm of the day. ****

Message Title: Light Through The Darkness
Date: Friday June 17, 2011
Chapters: Job 5-8, Proverbs 17, Psalm 6
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-june-17
Details of Today's Chapters: Eliphaz rebukes Job, Job’s response to Eliphaz, and Bildad’s theory of Job’s affliction.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” - Ephesians 5:5-10.

When you call on the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, all the sins you ever committed in your life has been washed away, you have been cleansed from it all. All is forgotten in the eyes of God and nothing or no one can ever take away your salvation. An amazing thing happens when we allow Christ to live in and through us, we shine and truly become prosperous, oh, we face some affliction, but in the the end we have the wonderful Kingdom of God waiting for us. Now, Satan despises the saved and he will do anything to get us to doubt our salvation, including using friends and family to do it. We need to be careful not to allow their vain (empty and useless) words to discourage us.

Job had a rich, prosperous life, in a matter of minutes he lost everything, I imagine he was feeling quite distraught and longed for some comfort and an encouraging word or two. However, all he got was a wife telling him to curse God and die and three friends who's best advice was to sit there in silence with him for seven days. Once they started talking all he got was a bunch of criticism. Eliphaz was the first to respond, telling Jon that he was being chastised by God for hidden sin.

“Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn? For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation. Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.” - Job 5:1-3,17-20.

Eliphaz went as far as saying just come clean, God will forgive you for it. He was right in that God forgives all when we repent, but he was wrong in assuming that Job was suffering because he had hidden sin in his life. It's easy to look at the outward appearance and assume that a person is living a sinful life, but God does not look at the appearance per se, He looks at the heart, actions, and mind of a person. We are all sinners, but we receive God's favor when we change ourselves from the inside out. “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” - I Samuel 16:7.

Job did not know what to say, he was spiritually drained and thought God had left him to deal with all this on his own, but he never once cursed God. He was literally ready for God to just take him away from all this.

“For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me...Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.” - Job 6:4,8-10.

When a child of God understands the reason for suffering, the heaviest load will not crush him, but when tragedy occurs with no sign of God's presence, we are all prone to become discouraged and even want to give up on life. Can I tell you that God never allows Satan to give us more than we can handle. If Job really couldn't have handled the illness that he was stricken with God would have taken him home to heaven when he asked Him to. Everything happens upon God's timetable, His presence is always with us, He just waits at times to answer us. “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:27,28.

Then Job thoughts are lifted up to God with some faith and hope as he begins to respond reasonably with his critic and the horrible thoughts he was having about God ending his life.

“Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity... I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.” - Job 7:12-16,22,21.

Our soul is the center part of our being, it magnifies what we are feeling, when we lift ourselves spiritually, we are lifted up in body and soul, which in turn brings us joy. However, if we are down on ourselves, we are brought down in soul and body, which in turn makes us ready to give up the fight. Thank God that He is not as harsh on us as we are ourselves, He will wait though until we are at our weakest before He lifts us up. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” - James 4:7-10.

There are going to be people in our lives that strive on seeing us struggling, they will criticize us and make us feel as though we are doubting ourselves. Never let anyone bring you so down on yourself that you feel that ending you life is the best option. Everything will come to past and you will be stronger and wiser as the Lord Jesus Christ lifts you up and brings light through the darkness. “For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” - I Corinthians 4:4,5.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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