“What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.””
James 4:15 NLT
this is important. the only person that knows what today, tomorrow and the future will bring us only the Lord. the Lord has control over our lives and we just need to depend on Him. trust in Him and know that He knows what’s best for us!
9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. – James 3:9,18
“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?”
Wow….he loves us so much and we just don’t get it
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 2You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
11Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
if God tears down, none can rebuild. This passage in Job shows us that things not made or meant from God will not be good. Relationships you have that are failing or causing pain and hurt might be resulting in that way because they are not meant to be in your life that God has given you. Ask God to reveal the things in your life that are not meant to be there and ask him for the wisdom and strength to get rid of those things and to find and pursue the things that are
Don’t worry about tomorrow, and take care of today. The Lord says do not judge. God is in control. May we do good in the eyes of the Lord and show others He is the only way.
After reading James, it occurs to me that all the plans we make are a sort of arrogance and often do come from a place of privilege. It’s a humbling thing when the Spirit comes in and thwarts all our “well made” plans, yet often beautiful as well.
At this time of setting goals and making plans for the year ahead we would all do well to remember that any success or failure is all dependent on whether it is Gods will. Really timely reading from James today,
I love how James calls us to change our language not to talk about our plans but to reframe our language and mindset “If it’s God will, we will do this or that…..”
Imagine the power if we talked and thought like that all the time, we would see God in so much more and recognise his sovereignty.
8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. He WILL draw near to me not maybe he will or a long list of requirements so that he will but just if I draw near to him then he will draw near to me.
Job 12:5 “In the thoughts of those who are at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for those whose feet slip.”
At times, I find myself easily dismissing the misery of others: “If they had just done _____, this wouldn’t have happened to them.” It can be so easy when things are going relatively well for me to deceive myself into thinking that it’s because of something I’ve done and that I deserve ___ because I’ve been living well.
My discomfort in watching others suffer can sometimes lead me to want to rationalize their suffering when it just doesn’t make sense, as Job’s friends are uncomfortable seeing him suffer and just want him to confess something he’s done so it will stop.
I admire Job for holding his ground. He didn’t just say some words and fake repent in order for God to return him to a comfortable lifestyle.
13:15 “Though he slay me I will hope in Him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.”
This is some real faith. Job knows his own heart well enough and believes/hopes in God’s heart and justice fervently enough that he holds out until the Lord gives ear to his suffering.
He sits in the misery that doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t try to explain it away or create a new belief system to justify the suffering. He knows he hasn’t sinned against the Lord and he knows the Lord does not repay righteousness with misery/evil. So he waits, honest about his misery, frustrated with the futile words of his friends, and hopes for an honest conversation (argument) with the Lord — waiting for God’s voice to give an answer to his situation.
Job 13:3, 5 “yet I prefer to speak to the Almighty . . . if only you would shut up” THAT made me smile! Sometimes we need to tell the world to just shut up and listen for God’s quiet whisper.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. I noticed the order here! We have to submit to God BEFORE we try to resist the devil. I’ve been trying to resist without submission and while I may win a few battles I’m still losing the overall war with a particular issue. This was enlightening!
“Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom” (Job 13:5). Job just went IN on his friends! They had it right in the very beginning when they sat silently and mourned with Job for 7 days (Job 2:11-13), but things got bad once they opened their mouths and made accusations about why he’s suffering. It’s an interesting parallel with James 4:11-12 which warns against judging others.
James 4:14a…”Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow…” I usually read this verse with the negative connotation I believe it implies: we are not to boast of what we plan to do tomorrow or three years from now because we don’t know what’s going to happen. But today, I read it in a positive connotation–do you feel stuck in life? Feel like you’re waiting for life to begin? Waiting to get married…waiting to find the “one”…waiting for a baby…waiting for the right job opportunity…etc. etc. etc. Take heart! Have hope! Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth! God can LITERALLY change your life in one day’s time!
I’ve been a Christian 30 years or more. Read a lot of the Word. But Job is always a struggle for me. I have a hard time sorting out which statements are right in God’s eyes and which aren’t. It helped me to go read a few commentaries. I just want to encourage anyone else struggling through it. The poetic form is challenging. But I think it’s pretty unique- not much else like it in the Bible.
James 4:13-15 also hit me today. I’m in a profession (medicine) where we plan our next move almost years in advance. And I’ve always planned to go on the mission field, but it’s been delayed several times (yet is closer than ever). Praying today that we will walk in obedience to Him daily, surrendering our plans to His will, holding loosely to our own.
I own my own business and this same passage struck me as well. I go back and forth on where to take it next, and really, I just need to pray and surrender to what God’s will is for us.
That same passage stood out to me as well. Over the years, I have struggled with whether or not to literally say the phrase, “God willing, I’ll…). I know some people who do and it sounds so rehearsed because they say it before everything. But today, I wondered if they’ve had it right all along. It’s rather humbling to always consider that the Lord is sovereign in all that I do. Hmmmmm…
I think anything we do out of routine can very easily turn into ritual, which is not good. Of course we are to live in that mindset of always living in awareness of God’s nearness and our service to Him, but that doesn’t mean we need to announce it to everyone on t-shirts. :)
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
This really struck me this morning. I can say I do this everyday, we plan every moment and every day not thinking about the fact that we may not have that day. I plan to begin thinking more about how I’m able to do these things (even things I do not want to do) because of Gods will.
I love how God uses His word to speak to us! My husband recently lost his job.. I have been struggling lately with doubt and fear, and this morning, as I was talking to God, I told Him that I didn’t need tons of money or “things”.. I just wanted to feel secure. He has been working on my heart all day, and then tonight, I read this– “15 Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish;
you will be secure and will not fear.
16 You will forget your misery;
you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
17 And your life will be brighter than the noonday;
its darkness will be like the morning.
18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
you will look around and take your rest in security.”
So thankful for my loving father!
What an encouragement for you… And to me reading your reflection! It’s one thing to know in your head that Gods grace is enough- more than we need- but another for the spirit to remind and convict and encourage your heart. Praying that stays with you despite your uncertainty.
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
Christians oftentimes get a bad reputation of being some of the most judgmental people. I know I have a bad habit of silently making assumptions or thinking negative thoughts about others without knowing their whole situation. May God grant me with a more accepting and open mind that I may be a doer of the law, and not a judge. In Jesus’ name, amen.
I was reading the comments of some of the ladies who did this study last year and I was struck by one comment about following the counsel of others. I often seek the counsel of others before I go to God because I don’t expect to receive counsel from Him. But it is obvious in Job, that despite his friends meaning well, the counsel they give does not speak to the true reason of Job’s suffering. Sometimes we feel the need to decipher both our own and others suffering, because we think we have all the answers. But He is the true Counsellor. We can go to Him and expect counsel, maybe not answers right away, but counsel. Even in the midst of bad advise Job seeks Gods counsel, and continues to do so even when he does not hear from God right away. May I do the same in my own life!
This is exactly what I was struck by in the readings recently. I feel I need to place more trust in Him as my Counsellor than my friends! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! Thank you for sharing! To be honest, I’ve learnt it the hard way of not prioritizing the counsel from God. I went to seek my friends’ advises first leading to much trouble later on. Even though we are of the same faith, I guess God is indeed the One true counsel and if we truly seek Him, He surely not let us down!
Job 12:
13 “With God are wisdom and might;
he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if he shuts a man in, none can open.
This passage really stuck out to me this morning as I am consistently trying to remind myself that God has plans far beyond what I can see. He is so powerful and His will is greater than anything else on the planet and with that we need to constantly be reminded that He will always take care of us. But at the same time, He is able to show us what happens if we don’t put our faith and our love in Him. Powerful stuff!
I ‘m also way behind on this study, I started reading this plan 2 months ago (went back and checked when my first post was) and I ‘m still in the readings for January! I may not catch up to where everyone is now, but I love reading this plan, and all the comments everyone is posting! They give me so much more insight into each of the passages. Thank you ladies and may God continue to bless all of you!
I’m behind – BUT regardless I’m loving this study and the community of women behind it. The comments really help me draw more from his word. Love it! Thank you SRT :)
It’s interesting how we’re seeing in James that we shouldn’t judge our fellow brothers and sisters, and yet, in Job, we’ve just heard from three friends laying out their judgments. How often are we so quick to offer our advice and wisdom. May times it’s better to be silent.
I need to rest in the Lord. My lasting prayer: draw near to God and he will draw near to me.
James 4:7 – Draw near to God (seek Him in humility). Put away pride. And all thoughts of personal merit and come to Him for mercy. And grace. Which He will give to all who come in this way. But if you stand before Him proud and adequate. He will resist and oppose you. He will break you. Until all you can do is come to Him empty and helpless. And then He will receive you. And heal you. And forgive you.
11:17 talk about the “health and wealth gospel!” He’s basically saying, “if you were really godly you would be happy, healthy, and rich”. How shallow. And how opposite God’s perspective. He let Job be tempted because of his faithfulness!
Great point, and sad enough many still believe and preach the “SlapHappyGodlyHealthyRich” point… Good thing our eyes are opened & God’s truth prevails!!
8 They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do?
They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know?
9 Their measure is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.
Jon 13:3 so he wants to speak to the Almighty, argue his case. And here’s Scripture interpreting Scripture: Jam 4:1 do the quarrels come from wrong desires within. What’s beneath the behavior in my own life?
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
This verse spoke to me so clearly. About my attitude with the people I work with, I want to be accepted and liked and therefore it’s easier to smile or laugh at the bawdly humor then it is to speak up.
Praying that I am reminded that God is more important and that His opinion matters more than the worlds.
Wow, James 4 really spoke to me today. How easy is it for us to speak badly about others..We have the best intentions not to and suddenly it slips out. This was a good reminder from God that He is the ONLY one who can judge. I have tried reading the bible before throughout but have failed. this plan makes it easy. I am thankful for SRT!
Yes I have to agree with ruth d. I started late and was able to catch up and stay caught up. This is the easiest reading through the bible I have done. Thank you for putting this together
I just have to share that I started this study about 2 1/2 weeks late….and today I caught up!!! I have always wanted to read through the whole Bible, but have never gotten very far because it is hard for me to study on my own. All of your comments and insights make everything so much richer and easier for me! Thank you!!!!!
I haven’t read the book of Job in a while and the advice he gets from his friends reminds me that 1). We should always seek counsel from God first (I admit that I am not the best at that) and 2). When we do seek counsel from friends it should be with those who are walking with God as well.
Zophar and Job are saying the same thing, but in different ways. Zophar says “Don’t you know God’s wisdom is too great to understand? You need to confess your sins to Him so that He will stop this.” Then Job says “Duh, I know this. Don’t you know that it is His hands who are doing this to me? I cannot simply just say sorry and be forgiven of something that I didn’t do. This is His will.” They both know whose in control, but Zophar thinks all will go away through Job’s power when Job knows that He doesn’t have the power to do so because God is controlling these events. This book is so confusing for me to understand because sometimes I agree with what Job’s friends are saying, then Job will speak and I’ll agree with Him too. I like how Job said “your silence would be wisdom” instead of his friends speaking against him. I think this scenario happens too often because we forget that God is the only judge and we as Christians think we know so much because we read the Bible. Of course if a brother or sister is in sin and needs to be told the Truth, then we respectfully share it. But in this case, silence is wisdom and this is forgotten too often. This reminds me of counseling because as a counselor, sometimes people come in just to talk and be heard. They don’t want and aren’t expecting you to figure out their problems. But this can be hard when you think you know the answer to their problems and know better than they do. What we fail to realize is that most of the time the problem is deeper than we realize and we only know a part of the story, not the whole thing.
Thanks for the insight. I always found the dialogue between Job and his “friends” a bit hard to understand b/c it seems wise counsel, just a bit misguided/self-seeking
What I am loving about Job in this season is it reminds me that it’s our nature to want reasons why for suffering- or wanting wise counsel or comfort from others. In the midst of ill-advice, Job always went back to wanting to hear from God himself!
I love this verse from James: 4:5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ?
Such an amazing reminder that God wants us to spend time with him.
14 if you put away the sin that is in your hand
and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,
15 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;
you will stand firm and without fear.
16 You will surely forget your trouble,
recalling it only as waters gone by.
17 Life will be brighter than noonday,
and darkness will become like morning.
18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
This gives me so much hope but sometimes it’s just hard to put away sins or even notice them :(
I wish it would be easy
Throughout Job there is so much encouragement for his constant giving praise to God through all the awful things that happen. But what bothers me is also his constant claim to be blameless. Is anyone other than Jesus without sin?
This really got me thinking! I think he is blameless because he followed the law and lived within its bounds. At the beginning of the book, we find him making sacrifices for himself and his children, in case they sinned. To me, this says that he did sin, because he is human, but he took the steps (animal sacrifice at the time) to come back to the Lord.
I think that could very well make him blameless. What do you think??
At this point, I don’t think he thinks he is “blameless”, rather confident and coming to God with a clear conscious before him, in trying to do what was right before God, or at least clear conscious that he tried to do what was right before God! It seems to me his friends keeping on ascertaining that Job should admit he sinned and that is the reason all these things are happening… Job is disputing their “sin” connotation in relation to his major life upheaval.
Echoing someone else’s post yesterday, I could use prayers to not just speed through the reads for reading sake but to absorb. In my pre-k days (pre kids that is;)) I would journal rtc. But I need to be realistic as I’m about to have baby #3! I won’t have my arms free to journal every day. And days like today when I wake up in the night with pain for hours so I don’t wake up Earlier than my kids I can’t journal. lord let the word absorb into me, even if I can’t study how Id really like to!
I’m with you Annie. Mom to four boys, youngest is 10mo and I work from home. I manage to find the time to read through at a good pace (sometimes in a stolen bit of quiet in the bathroom) but I never get to journal like I want. I pray that these comments and discussions help the word to really soak into my heart. I definitely feel grateful for the ladies who point out their take.
I have a baby #3 (6 months)! Do your best to read a small part at different times during the day. This has helped me to soak in more of what I read. I also like the bookmark feature so I can go back to the verses I really want to remember/dive into later. Good luck :)
Hi Annie, I hear you! One of the things I and doing to make sure I don’t read just for the “check in the box” is to read in the morning, make sure I have a verse to reflect on during the day, and then circle back and read again in the evening. The comments here truly help to dig in even deeper!
Right there with you sister Annie! #3 due in a week which will be 3 kids 3 and under! sometimes I feel like I am too brain dead to absorb anything!! Just continue to be faithful and pull out one verse to really chew on and he Lord will use it! His word does not return void! Praying all goes well with number 3!!! Nice to know I am not alone in the journey ahead!
I like to look back at comments, when I have time. While the main reason for the points is not this, I find myself thinking how much I need to be more mindful to help those with little ones (even if just 1x a month!). Isn’t this what God wanted anyway? I have one son in college, and one on its way. The teenage years brings crazy moments, but more independence and less need of me. So, to the women that can lend a young mother a 2 hour break, lets take it on! I doubt I live near you ladies (currently in SC) but I know a young mom just about to have child#2. So will make it more of a habit to help her. So thank you ladies for helping me see things more clearly!! For the young moms, hope you can get some help from around your community. My sister lives in TX, a mom of young kids, homeschools and her homeschooling group is her community…they take turns giving each other “sane” breaks! Praying for each of you with many little ones!
Amen Moni! Expecting #3 in 11 weeks and that will be 3 under 3. Just moved to CO and praying for friends who will be alongside me and encourage me! (And offer practical help!) Would really appreciate prayers, especially as I anticipate some of my quiet times will be done in the wee hours of the morning with this babe.
As I’m reading Job and hearing his friends consistently insist that there is sin in his life and surely that is why these things are happening, I’m struck with Job’s confidence that those are false accusations! I’m pretty certain that if I was receiving bad advice from my friends in a suffering season like Job’s, I could search out and find plenty of sin that “could be the reason for the punishment.” Oh that I would live a life so sold out to God!
Yes I was thinking the same- I would be quick to listen to the counsel of friends, however unwise it would be! I look back at James 3:17 to remember what good advice will look like!
I’m really convicted about this verse as I read it this morning: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” -James 4:4
It’s easy to be friends with the world, but if we choose that path, this verse says we are enemies of God. I must deny my worldly desires because I sure don’t want to be an enemy of God! I pray today that I remember God’s provision and ultimate satisfaction instead of turning to the world for contentedness.
First, it shows man made religion in Job 11! Judgement made by his “religious friends”…telling him to finally admit his guilt before God! I venture to say his friends had made irrational judgements about his life before all of this happened (yesterday’s reading & today’s friends replies reflects this!)…therefore the thoughts growing in their hearts are coming out now, at the time Job really needed something else! Then they add that surely if he admits his sins, God will make everything peachy…another false Christian notion! It is not always like that. I mean Christians are still dying of cancer, some parents are facing the death of a child before their time, and the list goes on!
Then it shows Job’s strength to fight back against his friends deep lack of wisdom! He remarked a few times about how he is not “inferior” to them. I love that Job’s strong walk with God has generated so much wisdom that when he was really pushed from ALL angles, he pushed back…with much strength, much power and sound wisdom! His friends targeted his character! Instead Job praised God, His power, His strength! He wasn’t happy about his situation but He knew God!! Also, shows how the Holy Spirit was giving him strength not only physically (as he had soars from top to bottom on his body!) but also deep inner strength to argue back with his accuser! His accuser was satan, his friends were using the words of satan! In the end Job seems to me that he is “rebuking the devil”… He didn’t bow down, accept it as truth, or cower down being weak, he fought back with truth, God’s ACTUAL truth! I…love…this!!! Instead of adhering to lies, may we remember to rebuke the devil and his lies!!
There are times I forget what sin is. Oh, I try to make sure I don’t do wrong, but I have forgotten James 4:17: “Therefore, to him who knows to do good & does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Oh, Lord, let me clearly see those times I can do good & let me not forget your Word, but obey & do those good things. I want to live blameless before You & let your Light be clearly seen in me.
I love the parallels in Job and James today. First I heard Job cry out, “21 Withdraw your hand far from me,
and stop frightening me with your terrors.
22 Then summon me and I will answer,
or let me speak, and you reply to me.” Lord, come near to me and speak. Then we get to James, and I heard James telling us, again, to submit to God – and then He will draw near to us. Job is trying to live out the NT, before it even arrives. I struggle to draw near to God in times of pain and trial, and I also struggle to prevent my boasts and worries about the future. But as James says, what is my life but a mist? I pray today that I’m able to draw near to God and rest in Him, whatever may come.
Oh I LOVE the parallels today, too, between the two books! I love how in Job his friends are quick to judge his life and search for sin as an answer. Then in James he warns us to watch our tongues and do not judge a brother!
And life IS but a vapor! May I always keep that in mind and like you said, draw near to Him!
Thank you for your comment, Libby! It really made me understand Job. I love reading the beautiful Scripture along with everyone here and it deepens my learning and understanding. Thank you Lord for giving us this community to learn from.
I just heard a sermon on David’s strength in the lord before he was King. It was really cool to realize that God is personal all the time even in the Old Testament. I feel like it’s easy sometimes to box God in and think of him in terms of OT and NT but he is the same all the time! He never changes :)
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
The truth of these verses reminds me of a past season filled with the chill of broken relationship. We’ve all been there, and yet in the moment might not realize that the “justifiable anger” that we often feel is really just pride that has been bruised a little bit deeper than makes us comfortable.
Father, examine our deepest motives. See if there be any wicked way in us, any hidden selfish ambition that causes pride to become the champion of our causes. Give us hearts that when tested, may come out of the fire as pure gold.
Job11:18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
Between this verse and James 4:13-15 I feel like the Lord is really trying to settle my anxiety about the future. I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I will be safe and secure because of the hope I have in Christ. Praise Him.
15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
If we remembered this verse in all we do, plan and say we would be so much closer to living in the Word and not the world.
To humble ourselves is a true task. It is not a part of the world. But what fullness, completeness, peace, comfort and security we experience we we humble ourselves to the Lord in prayer and deed!
“15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. ” Oh this verse speaks volumes to my heart! In my moments of greatest struggle, it has taken faith to look to God, see His hand in my trouble, and yet still hope in Him. His ways are not our ways. But He takes us through deepest waters that we might know Him deeply.
I would encourage you ladies to listen to the song, “though you slay me” by Shane and Shane. Such a beautiful song!
Wow! That is beautiful! I watched it on YouTube. So powerful & convicting–right from Job. Should we accept good from him & not bad? Can we trust Him in whose hand is our very life? Can we trust Him, without experiencing His goodness, even though He is infinitely good? Do we need to see His blessings to give Him praise? I pray not.
Lord, You are worthy; we are so unworthy. May You be praised everywhere Your Word is read & everywhere it is recalled–through the whole universe! You are so much more than we need; praise Your Name!!!
Reading this Scripture, specifically James 4, has led me to repentance in the area of pride. When things are going well in my life, I give thanks to God but there’s a residue on that praise that has the fingerprints of pride. God gave me that position or thing or person because of my greatness and not because of His. I don’t want to be resisted by God. I want to be embraced, supported and even humbled by him. So Lord, I repent of pride and see you as the source of every good and perfect gift in my life.
Amen sister! I’ve been living my life with this “slogan” for a while now. I let God lead my way. I know he’s knows best. What an amazing God we serve!
“What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.””
James 4:15 NLT
this is important. the only person that knows what today, tomorrow and the future will bring us only the Lord. the Lord has control over our lives and we just need to depend on Him. trust in Him and know that He knows what’s best for us!
9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. – James 3:9,18
12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? – James 4:12
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7
❤️
Read todays and yesterday’s verses just now. Forgivers, peacemakers, tongue tamers, and justice seekers. Praying for a forgiving and humbled heart!
“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?”
Wow….he loves us so much and we just don’t get it
❤️
10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
❤️
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 2You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
Lord, help me to know what to ask for.
11Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
if God tears down, none can rebuild. This passage in Job shows us that things not made or meant from God will not be good. Relationships you have that are failing or causing pain and hurt might be resulting in that way because they are not meant to be in your life that God has given you. Ask God to reveal the things in your life that are not meant to be there and ask him for the wisdom and strength to get rid of those things and to find and pursue the things that are
Don’t worry about tomorrow, and take care of today. The Lord says do not judge. God is in control. May we do good in the eyes of the Lord and show others He is the only way.
❤️
Lol
12But a stupid man will get understanding
when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man!
Praying for the strength in times of tribulation and to see the good in it. The chapter James had so much conviction
Is anyone else having a harder time following and fully understanding Job? Has anyone paired this with a secondary source to help?
After reading James, it occurs to me that all the plans we make are a sort of arrogance and often do come from a place of privilege. It’s a humbling thing when the Spirit comes in and thwarts all our “well made” plans, yet often beautiful as well.
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Though he slay me, I will hope in him
May we all trust God like Job.
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If the lord wills…needed this reminder!!
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
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Yes!!!
Almost a month under my belt! ❤️❤️❤️
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At this time of setting goals and making plans for the year ahead we would all do well to remember that any success or failure is all dependent on whether it is Gods will. Really timely reading from James today,
though he slay me, yet i will hope in him. #lyonhearted
Come near to God and he will come near to you!!!
For he is manifold in understanding.
Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. ❤️
22He uncovers the deeps out of darkness
and brings deep darkness to light. -ellie
Day 29!!!
The readings in Job make me thing of the song “Yes I Will” that we have sang in church lately. Yes I will, sing for joy, when my heart is heavy!
I love how James calls us to change our language not to talk about our plans but to reframe our language and mindset “If it’s God will, we will do this or that…..”
Imagine the power if we talked and thought like that all the time, we would see God in so much more and recognise his sovereignty.
Definitely giving me an inside look at myself & my actions
8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. He WILL draw near to me not maybe he will or a long list of requirements so that he will but just if I draw near to him then he will draw near to me.
Job 12:5 “In the thoughts of those who are at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for those whose feet slip.”
At times, I find myself easily dismissing the misery of others: “If they had just done _____, this wouldn’t have happened to them.” It can be so easy when things are going relatively well for me to deceive myself into thinking that it’s because of something I’ve done and that I deserve ___ because I’ve been living well.
My discomfort in watching others suffer can sometimes lead me to want to rationalize their suffering when it just doesn’t make sense, as Job’s friends are uncomfortable seeing him suffer and just want him to confess something he’s done so it will stop.
I admire Job for holding his ground. He didn’t just say some words and fake repent in order for God to return him to a comfortable lifestyle.
13:15 “Though he slay me I will hope in Him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.”
This is some real faith. Job knows his own heart well enough and believes/hopes in God’s heart and justice fervently enough that he holds out until the Lord gives ear to his suffering.
He sits in the misery that doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t try to explain it away or create a new belief system to justify the suffering. He knows he hasn’t sinned against the Lord and he knows the Lord does not repay righteousness with misery/evil. So he waits, honest about his misery, frustrated with the futile words of his friends, and hopes for an honest conversation (argument) with the Lord — waiting for God’s voice to give an answer to his situation.
Yes! Job is steadfast. Oh that we are more like this in our faith.
Thank you for this insight!
Job 13:3, 5 “yet I prefer to speak to the Almighty . . . if only you would shut up” THAT made me smile! Sometimes we need to tell the world to just shut up and listen for God’s quiet whisper.
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7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
I love day 29! It’s amazing how the 2 passages are relating to one another today.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. I noticed the order here! We have to submit to God BEFORE we try to resist the devil. I’ve been trying to resist without submission and while I may win a few battles I’m still losing the overall war with a particular issue. This was enlightening!
“Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom” (Job 13:5). Job just went IN on his friends! They had it right in the very beginning when they sat silently and mourned with Job for 7 days (Job 2:11-13), but things got bad once they opened their mouths and made accusations about why he’s suffering. It’s an interesting parallel with James 4:11-12 which warns against judging others.
I noticed that verse today too. Reminding me that if I don’t REALLY know, then it’s better not to add my 2 cents worth. Silence can be golden.
James 4:14a…”Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow…” I usually read this verse with the negative connotation I believe it implies: we are not to boast of what we plan to do tomorrow or three years from now because we don’t know what’s going to happen. But today, I read it in a positive connotation–do you feel stuck in life? Feel like you’re waiting for life to begin? Waiting to get married…waiting to find the “one”…waiting for a baby…waiting for the right job opportunity…etc. etc. etc. Take heart! Have hope! Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth! God can LITERALLY change your life in one day’s time!
I love your spin on this! I never thought of that verse in that way.
I’ve often read this verse with a negative connotation as well, but this positive light is JUST what I needed today. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this thought!
I love this!
I’ve been a Christian 30 years or more. Read a lot of the Word. But Job is always a struggle for me. I have a hard time sorting out which statements are right in God’s eyes and which aren’t. It helped me to go read a few commentaries. I just want to encourage anyone else struggling through it. The poetic form is challenging. But I think it’s pretty unique- not much else like it in the Bible.
I was just thinking about how much I’m struggling with Job! It really helps to know I’m not alone.
James 4:13-15 also hit me today. I’m in a profession (medicine) where we plan our next move almost years in advance. And I’ve always planned to go on the mission field, but it’s been delayed several times (yet is closer than ever). Praying today that we will walk in obedience to Him daily, surrendering our plans to His will, holding loosely to our own.
I own my own business and this same passage struck me as well. I go back and forth on where to take it next, and really, I just need to pray and surrender to what God’s will is for us.
That same passage stood out to me as well. Over the years, I have struggled with whether or not to literally say the phrase, “God willing, I’ll…). I know some people who do and it sounds so rehearsed because they say it before everything. But today, I wondered if they’ve had it right all along. It’s rather humbling to always consider that the Lord is sovereign in all that I do. Hmmmmm…
I think anything we do out of routine can very easily turn into ritual, which is not good. Of course we are to live in that mindset of always living in awareness of God’s nearness and our service to Him, but that doesn’t mean we need to announce it to everyone on t-shirts. :)
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
This really struck me this morning. I can say I do this everyday, we plan every moment and every day not thinking about the fact that we may not have that day. I plan to begin thinking more about how I’m able to do these things (even things I do not want to do) because of Gods will.
I love how God uses His word to speak to us! My husband recently lost his job.. I have been struggling lately with doubt and fear, and this morning, as I was talking to God, I told Him that I didn’t need tons of money or “things”.. I just wanted to feel secure. He has been working on my heart all day, and then tonight, I read this– “15 Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish;
you will be secure and will not fear.
16 You will forget your misery;
you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
17 And your life will be brighter than the noonday;
its darkness will be like the morning.
18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
you will look around and take your rest in security.”
So thankful for my loving father!
What an encouragement for you… And to me reading your reflection! It’s one thing to know in your head that Gods grace is enough- more than we need- but another for the spirit to remind and convict and encourage your heart. Praying that stays with you despite your uncertainty.
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
Christians oftentimes get a bad reputation of being some of the most judgmental people. I know I have a bad habit of silently making assumptions or thinking negative thoughts about others without knowing their whole situation. May God grant me with a more accepting and open mind that I may be a doer of the law, and not a judge. In Jesus’ name, amen.
I was reading the comments of some of the ladies who did this study last year and I was struck by one comment about following the counsel of others. I often seek the counsel of others before I go to God because I don’t expect to receive counsel from Him. But it is obvious in Job, that despite his friends meaning well, the counsel they give does not speak to the true reason of Job’s suffering. Sometimes we feel the need to decipher both our own and others suffering, because we think we have all the answers. But He is the true Counsellor. We can go to Him and expect counsel, maybe not answers right away, but counsel. Even in the midst of bad advise Job seeks Gods counsel, and continues to do so even when he does not hear from God right away. May I do the same in my own life!
This is exactly what I was struck by in the readings recently. I feel I need to place more trust in Him as my Counsellor than my friends! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! Thank you for sharing! To be honest, I’ve learnt it the hard way of not prioritizing the counsel from God. I went to seek my friends’ advises first leading to much trouble later on. Even though we are of the same faith, I guess God is indeed the One true counsel and if we truly seek Him, He surely not let us down!
Yes! Thank you for sharing this insight! It was just the reminder I needed!
Job 12:
13 “With God are wisdom and might;
he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if he shuts a man in, none can open.
This passage really stuck out to me this morning as I am consistently trying to remind myself that God has plans far beyond what I can see. He is so powerful and His will is greater than anything else on the planet and with that we need to constantly be reminded that He will always take care of us. But at the same time, He is able to show us what happens if we don’t put our faith and our love in Him. Powerful stuff!
Amen!!
I ‘m also way behind on this study, I started reading this plan 2 months ago (went back and checked when my first post was) and I ‘m still in the readings for January! I may not catch up to where everyone is now, but I love reading this plan, and all the comments everyone is posting! They give me so much more insight into each of the passages. Thank you ladies and may God continue to bless all of you!
Love this note from my ESV study bible about judging others.
“James 4:12 When a person begins to “judge the law,” he is usurping the place of the one lawgiver and judge”
Lots of us catching up today :)
Here, here :)
I’m behind too and playing catch up.
I’m behind – BUT regardless I’m loving this study and the community of women behind it. The comments really help me draw more from his word. Love it! Thank you SRT :)
I’m behind too. Just wanted you to know you are not alone. :)
The comments are great! Thank you Jesus for this community & SRT
I am behind as well. Trying to play catch up :)
5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ?
I LOVE that God jealously pursues us. How deep is his love for us!!
It’s interesting how we’re seeing in James that we shouldn’t judge our fellow brothers and sisters, and yet, in Job, we’ve just heard from three friends laying out their judgments. How often are we so quick to offer our advice and wisdom. May times it’s better to be silent.
I need to rest in the Lord. My lasting prayer: draw near to God and he will draw near to me.
James 4:7 – Draw near to God (seek Him in humility). Put away pride. And all thoughts of personal merit and come to Him for mercy. And grace. Which He will give to all who come in this way. But if you stand before Him proud and adequate. He will resist and oppose you. He will break you. Until all you can do is come to Him empty and helpless. And then He will receive you. And heal you. And forgive you.
11:17 talk about the “health and wealth gospel!” He’s basically saying, “if you were really godly you would be happy, healthy, and rich”. How shallow. And how opposite God’s perspective. He let Job be tempted because of his faithfulness!
Great point, and sad enough many still believe and preach the “SlapHappyGodlyHealthyRich” point… Good thing our eyes are opened & God’s truth prevails!!
8 They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do?
They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know?
9 Their measure is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.
The imagery here is great. Our God is GREAT!
Imy
Mi
P
Jon 13:3 so he wants to speak to the Almighty, argue his case. And here’s Scripture interpreting Scripture: Jam 4:1 do the quarrels come from wrong desires within. What’s beneath the behavior in my own life?
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
This verse spoke to me so clearly. About my attitude with the people I work with, I want to be accepted and liked and therefore it’s easier to smile or laugh at the bawdly humor then it is to speak up.
Praying that I am reminded that God is more important and that His opinion matters more than the worlds.
Wow, James 4 really spoke to me today. How easy is it for us to speak badly about others..We have the best intentions not to and suddenly it slips out. This was a good reminder from God that He is the ONLY one who can judge. I have tried reading the bible before throughout but have failed. this plan makes it easy. I am thankful for SRT!
Yes I have to agree with ruth d. I started late and was able to catch up and stay caught up. This is the easiest reading through the bible I have done. Thank you for putting this together
Yay! We love having you with us, Erica!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
I just have to share that I started this study about 2 1/2 weeks late….and today I caught up!!! I have always wanted to read through the whole Bible, but have never gotten very far because it is hard for me to study on my own. All of your comments and insights make everything so much richer and easier for me! Thank you!!!!!
Ruth, that is amazing!! We are so thankful to have you here!!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
I haven’t read the book of Job in a while and the advice he gets from his friends reminds me that 1). We should always seek counsel from God first (I admit that I am not the best at that) and 2). When we do seek counsel from friends it should be with those who are walking with God as well.
I couldn’t agree more Pam.
Zophar and Job are saying the same thing, but in different ways. Zophar says “Don’t you know God’s wisdom is too great to understand? You need to confess your sins to Him so that He will stop this.” Then Job says “Duh, I know this. Don’t you know that it is His hands who are doing this to me? I cannot simply just say sorry and be forgiven of something that I didn’t do. This is His will.” They both know whose in control, but Zophar thinks all will go away through Job’s power when Job knows that He doesn’t have the power to do so because God is controlling these events. This book is so confusing for me to understand because sometimes I agree with what Job’s friends are saying, then Job will speak and I’ll agree with Him too. I like how Job said “your silence would be wisdom” instead of his friends speaking against him. I think this scenario happens too often because we forget that God is the only judge and we as Christians think we know so much because we read the Bible. Of course if a brother or sister is in sin and needs to be told the Truth, then we respectfully share it. But in this case, silence is wisdom and this is forgotten too often. This reminds me of counseling because as a counselor, sometimes people come in just to talk and be heard. They don’t want and aren’t expecting you to figure out their problems. But this can be hard when you think you know the answer to their problems and know better than they do. What we fail to realize is that most of the time the problem is deeper than we realize and we only know a part of the story, not the whole thing.
Love your take on it!
Thanks for the insight. I always found the dialogue between Job and his “friends” a bit hard to understand b/c it seems wise counsel, just a bit misguided/self-seeking
Thank you for explaining the conversation between them. It was hard for me to understand. I get it a lot better now :)
LOVE your comment. Thanks for this!
That stood out to me as well. Great insight!
What I am loving about Job in this season is it reminds me that it’s our nature to want reasons why for suffering- or wanting wise counsel or comfort from others. In the midst of ill-advice, Job always went back to wanting to hear from God himself!
What a great reminder Cora. Thanks for sharing that insight!
I love this verse from James: 4:5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ?
Such an amazing reminder that God wants us to spend time with him.
14 if you put away the sin that is in your hand
and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,
15 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;
you will stand firm and without fear.
16 You will surely forget your trouble,
recalling it only as waters gone by.
17 Life will be brighter than noonday,
and darkness will become like morning.
18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
This gives me so much hope but sometimes it’s just hard to put away sins or even notice them :(
I wish it would be easy
Throughout Job there is so much encouragement for his constant giving praise to God through all the awful things that happen. But what bothers me is also his constant claim to be blameless. Is anyone other than Jesus without sin?
Agree! Seems self-righteous. Perhaps something is lost in translation.
Is blameless and without sin the same thing? I’m not sure …
But in Job one the Lord himself called Job blameless.
This really got me thinking! I think he is blameless because he followed the law and lived within its bounds. At the beginning of the book, we find him making sacrifices for himself and his children, in case they sinned. To me, this says that he did sin, because he is human, but he took the steps (animal sacrifice at the time) to come back to the Lord.
I think that could very well make him blameless. What do you think??
At this point, I don’t think he thinks he is “blameless”, rather confident and coming to God with a clear conscious before him, in trying to do what was right before God, or at least clear conscious that he tried to do what was right before God! It seems to me his friends keeping on ascertaining that Job should admit he sinned and that is the reason all these things are happening… Job is disputing their “sin” connotation in relation to his major life upheaval.
Mandy, I meant to tag this to the overall thread…
That makes a lot of sense!
Linda, I think blameless is more like saying, Job was obedient, submissive, repentant, faithful and/or humble to God
I see it the same way…
Echoing someone else’s post yesterday, I could use prayers to not just speed through the reads for reading sake but to absorb. In my pre-k days (pre kids that is;)) I would journal rtc. But I need to be realistic as I’m about to have baby #3! I won’t have my arms free to journal every day. And days like today when I wake up in the night with pain for hours so I don’t wake up Earlier than my kids I can’t journal. lord let the word absorb into me, even if I can’t study how Id really like to!
I’m with you Annie. Mom to four boys, youngest is 10mo and I work from home. I manage to find the time to read through at a good pace (sometimes in a stolen bit of quiet in the bathroom) but I never get to journal like I want. I pray that these comments and discussions help the word to really soak into my heart. I definitely feel grateful for the ladies who point out their take.
I have a baby #3 (6 months)! Do your best to read a small part at different times during the day. This has helped me to soak in more of what I read. I also like the bookmark feature so I can go back to the verses I really want to remember/dive into later. Good luck :)
I bookmark! I should go back and read them again;)
Hi Annie, I hear you! One of the things I and doing to make sure I don’t read just for the “check in the box” is to read in the morning, make sure I have a verse to reflect on during the day, and then circle back and read again in the evening. The comments here truly help to dig in even deeper!
Thanks! That’s a good idea – I do find reading the comments helps me to rethink what I read!
Right there with you sister Annie! #3 due in a week which will be 3 kids 3 and under! sometimes I feel like I am too brain dead to absorb anything!! Just continue to be faithful and pull out one verse to really chew on and he Lord will use it! His word does not return void! Praying all goes well with number 3!!! Nice to know I am not alone in the journey ahead!
Good luck with your delivery! We are not alone!!
I like to look back at comments, when I have time. While the main reason for the points is not this, I find myself thinking how much I need to be more mindful to help those with little ones (even if just 1x a month!). Isn’t this what God wanted anyway? I have one son in college, and one on its way. The teenage years brings crazy moments, but more independence and less need of me. So, to the women that can lend a young mother a 2 hour break, lets take it on! I doubt I live near you ladies (currently in SC) but I know a young mom just about to have child#2. So will make it more of a habit to help her. So thank you ladies for helping me see things more clearly!! For the young moms, hope you can get some help from around your community. My sister lives in TX, a mom of young kids, homeschools and her homeschooling group is her community…they take turns giving each other “sane” breaks! Praying for each of you with many little ones!
Amen Moni! Expecting #3 in 11 weeks and that will be 3 under 3. Just moved to CO and praying for friends who will be alongside me and encourage me! (And offer practical help!) Would really appreciate prayers, especially as I anticipate some of my quiet times will be done in the wee hours of the morning with this babe.
As I’m reading Job and hearing his friends consistently insist that there is sin in his life and surely that is why these things are happening, I’m struck with Job’s confidence that those are false accusations! I’m pretty certain that if I was receiving bad advice from my friends in a suffering season like Job’s, I could search out and find plenty of sin that “could be the reason for the punishment.” Oh that I would live a life so sold out to God!
Yes I was thinking the same- I would be quick to listen to the counsel of friends, however unwise it would be! I look back at James 3:17 to remember what good advice will look like!
I’m really convicted about this verse as I read it this morning: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” -James 4:4
It’s easy to be friends with the world, but if we choose that path, this verse says we are enemies of God. I must deny my worldly desires because I sure don’t want to be an enemy of God! I pray today that I remember God’s provision and ultimate satisfaction instead of turning to the world for contentedness.
That, too, stuck out to me! Amen!
Amen!
Amen! This has such conviction over me as I was reading!
I am in {{love}} with the Job passages of today!!
First, it shows man made religion in Job 11! Judgement made by his “religious friends”…telling him to finally admit his guilt before God! I venture to say his friends had made irrational judgements about his life before all of this happened (yesterday’s reading & today’s friends replies reflects this!)…therefore the thoughts growing in their hearts are coming out now, at the time Job really needed something else! Then they add that surely if he admits his sins, God will make everything peachy…another false Christian notion! It is not always like that. I mean Christians are still dying of cancer, some parents are facing the death of a child before their time, and the list goes on!
Then it shows Job’s strength to fight back against his friends deep lack of wisdom! He remarked a few times about how he is not “inferior” to them. I love that Job’s strong walk with God has generated so much wisdom that when he was really pushed from ALL angles, he pushed back…with much strength, much power and sound wisdom! His friends targeted his character! Instead Job praised God, His power, His strength! He wasn’t happy about his situation but He knew God!! Also, shows how the Holy Spirit was giving him strength not only physically (as he had soars from top to bottom on his body!) but also deep inner strength to argue back with his accuser! His accuser was satan, his friends were using the words of satan! In the end Job seems to me that he is “rebuking the devil”… He didn’t bow down, accept it as truth, or cower down being weak, he fought back with truth, God’s ACTUAL truth! I…love…this!!! Instead of adhering to lies, may we remember to rebuke the devil and his lies!!
Thank you for sharing this!
There are times I forget what sin is. Oh, I try to make sure I don’t do wrong, but I have forgotten James 4:17: “Therefore, to him who knows to do good & does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Oh, Lord, let me clearly see those times I can do good & let me not forget your Word, but obey & do those good things. I want to live blameless before You & let your Light be clearly seen in me.
I love the parallels in Job and James today. First I heard Job cry out, “21 Withdraw your hand far from me,
and stop frightening me with your terrors.
22 Then summon me and I will answer,
or let me speak, and you reply to me.” Lord, come near to me and speak. Then we get to James, and I heard James telling us, again, to submit to God – and then He will draw near to us. Job is trying to live out the NT, before it even arrives. I struggle to draw near to God in times of pain and trial, and I also struggle to prevent my boasts and worries about the future. But as James says, what is my life but a mist? I pray today that I’m able to draw near to God and rest in Him, whatever may come.
Oh I LOVE the parallels today, too, between the two books! I love how in Job his friends are quick to judge his life and search for sin as an answer. Then in James he warns us to watch our tongues and do not judge a brother!
And life IS but a vapor! May I always keep that in mind and like you said, draw near to Him!
Thank you for your comment, Libby! It really made me understand Job. I love reading the beautiful Scripture along with everyone here and it deepens my learning and understanding. Thank you Lord for giving us this community to learn from.
I just heard a sermon on David’s strength in the lord before he was King. It was really cool to realize that God is personal all the time even in the Old Testament. I feel like it’s easy sometimes to box God in and think of him in terms of OT and NT but he is the same all the time! He never changes :)
So true! I love seeng these two books side by side!
“But I have such a good reason to be angry…”
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
The truth of these verses reminds me of a past season filled with the chill of broken relationship. We’ve all been there, and yet in the moment might not realize that the “justifiable anger” that we often feel is really just pride that has been bruised a little bit deeper than makes us comfortable.
Father, examine our deepest motives. See if there be any wicked way in us, any hidden selfish ambition that causes pride to become the champion of our causes. Give us hearts that when tested, may come out of the fire as pure gold.
Amen!
16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. May I only boast in the Lord
Job11:18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
Between this verse and James 4:13-15 I feel like the Lord is really trying to settle my anxiety about the future. I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I will be safe and secure because of the hope I have in Christ. Praise Him.
15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
If we remembered this verse in all we do, plan and say we would be so much closer to living in the Word and not the world.
To humble ourselves is a true task. It is not a part of the world. But what fullness, completeness, peace, comfort and security we experience we we humble ourselves to the Lord in prayer and deed!
“15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. ” Oh this verse speaks volumes to my heart! In my moments of greatest struggle, it has taken faith to look to God, see His hand in my trouble, and yet still hope in Him. His ways are not our ways. But He takes us through deepest waters that we might know Him deeply.
I would encourage you ladies to listen to the song, “though you slay me” by Shane and Shane. Such a beautiful song!
That song came to mind for me as well!
Wow! That is beautiful! I watched it on YouTube. So powerful & convicting–right from Job. Should we accept good from him & not bad? Can we trust Him in whose hand is our very life? Can we trust Him, without experiencing His goodness, even though He is infinitely good? Do we need to see His blessings to give Him praise? I pray not.
Lord, You are worthy; we are so unworthy. May You be praised everywhere Your Word is read & everywhere it is recalled–through the whole universe! You are so much more than we need; praise Your Name!!!
Thank you so much for bringing that song to attention; it’s exactly what I need to help this really pierce my heart & fill it with praise
Loved that song! Thanks for sharing:)
Reading this Scripture, specifically James 4, has led me to repentance in the area of pride. When things are going well in my life, I give thanks to God but there’s a residue on that praise that has the fingerprints of pride. God gave me that position or thing or person because of my greatness and not because of His. I don’t want to be resisted by God. I want to be embraced, supported and even humbled by him. So Lord, I repent of pride and see you as the source of every good and perfect gift in my life.
The same thought passes through my mind.