Daily Devotional
Sunday: Job – Blameless and Upright: Job 1:1-5
Blameless refers to Job’s moral integrity and wholehearted commitment to God. Upright denotes rightness in word, thought and deed. This declaration about Job’s righteousness clearly affirmed that God through His grace can redeem fallen humans so as to make them genuinely good, righteous and victorious over sin. (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Psalm 119:7)
Monday: Satan’s Accusations: Job 1:6-12
Satan reacted to God’s claim that Job was a Godly man by assaulting both Job and God. Satan implied that God was naïve and had deceived Himself, having obtained Job’s devotion by blessing and bribery. If God were to stop giving Job protection, wealth, health, and happiness, Satan maintained that Job would “Curse you to your face.” (Matthew 4:3-11; James 4:7; Revelation 12:11)
Tuesday: Job’s First Test: Job 1:12-19
God gave Satan the authority to destroy Job’s property and family; however, He limited Satan. God always limits Satan. The Lord does not try to destroy Job’s faith but rather to prove that his faith is real and sufficient. God planned that the sufferings of Job would develop Job’s faith, lead to increased blessings for Job, and benefit countless other sufferers throughout the centuries. Satan may be seeking to work his evil designs, while God is at work bringing about good for those who love Him. (1 Chronicles 21:1; Romans 8:28)
Wednesday: Job’s Humility: Job 1:20-22
The tearing of clothes signified great mourning and humility. Job recognizes that he entered the world ‘naked,’ without possessions of any kind, and he will return there, where he will possess nothing. Job persists in trusting God, accusing Him of no wrong. Job praises God and faces the first moments of hardship in humility, trusting in the goodness of God’s mysterious providence. (Ecclesiastes 5:15-19; 1 Timothy 6:7-8)
Thursday: Satan’s Second Accusation: Job 2:1-5
Satan never gives up. He suggested to God a new test for Job: personal physical suffering. Pain can weaken our resistance and make everything feel and look worse than it really is. More than one person who has victoriously survived tragedy has fallen apart under onslaughts of pain.
Friday: Job’s Second Test: Job 2:6-10
God allowed Satan to inflict further pain on Job because neither Job’s full commitment to God could be proven nor God’s endeavor to redeem him from sin demonstrated effectively without undeserved suffering. (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Saturday: Job’s Three Friends: Job 2:11-13
After hearing of Job’s adversity, three of his friends came to sympathize with him and comfort him. Their perspective represented a popular but incomplete theology.