Today's Video Devotion

Wednesday 8/2/23

Cling to the Lord

📺️ Job 9 🔊

¹Then Job answered and said,

 ²I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

 ³If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

 ⁴He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

 ⁵Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

 ⁶Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

 ⁷Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

 ⁸Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

 ⁹Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

 ¹⁰Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

 ¹¹Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

 ¹²Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

 ¹³If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

 ¹⁴How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

 ¹⁵Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

 ¹⁶If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

 ¹⁷For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

 ¹⁸He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

 ¹⁹If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

 ²⁰If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

 ²¹Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

 ²²This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

 ²³If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

 ²⁴The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

 ²⁵Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

 ²⁶They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

 ²⁷If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

 ²⁸I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

 ²⁹If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

 ³⁰If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

 ³¹Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

 ³²For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

 ³³Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

 ³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

 ³⁵Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Unknown, possibly Job, Moses, Solomon, and Elihu

Date Penned: (2000-1800 BC)

Overview: Faith in God's Sovereignty Through Trials (c 1-42)

Theme: Three Friends Answer Job (c 3-31)

Message: Job Speaks (v 1-35)

Job 9 Commentary

(9:1) Job Shows Impatience Toward God - Bildad said nothing new to Job. Job knew that the wicked ultimately perish, but his situation confused him. Why, then, was he perishing? Job didn't think his life warranted such suffering, so he wanted his case presented before God (9:32-35). He recognized, however, that arguing with God would be futile and unproductive (9:4). Job didn't claim to be perfect (7:20-21; 9:20), but he did claim to be good and faithful (6:29-30). While Job showed impatience toward God, he did not reject or curse God.

(9:9) Constellations - Arcturus, Orion, and the Pleiades are patterns of stars.

(9:20-21) Job's Suffering Intensifies His Impatience - "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me." Job was saying, "In spite of my good life, God is determined to condemn me." As his suffering continued, he became more impatient. Although Job remained loyal to God, he made statements he would later regret. In times of extended sickness or prolonged pain, it is natural for people to doubt, to despair, or to become impatient. During those times, people who are suffering need someone to listen to them and to help them work through their feelings and frustrations. Reach out and visit those who are in desperate situations. Your patience with their impatience will help them.

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the Book of Job with Chapter 9. In our text today we see Job speaking again in response to his friends comments. In battling affliction our flesh follows a pattern of: feeling sorry for ourselves, to self-pity, to blaming God for our affliction. In making application we see a pattern for destruction. It is in these times of weakness when we are in our flesh we act on our self pity choosing to lash out at God in rebellion instead of asking the Lord why we are going through this valley. It is at these times we should cling closer to the Lord verses pushing Him away. How about you? Do difficult times push you further away from God or do you follow the example of Job to cling to Lord when facing difficult times.