January 27 - Job 30:1-31:40

Good morning everyone,

Today in our reading we come to the final two chapters of Job’s speech before he speaks with God. He is weary and confused. A man who was once wealthy and respected by all is now being taunted by even the young folks. In 30:9-15 we read that they mock him with vulgar songs. They provoke him, and they spit in his face. They spit in his face!! Who gets to do that? It makes me so angry to read those words. Why do some people feel like they are so much better than others? It is incredibly pathetic and sad when one person has to bring another down in an effort to make themselves look better, bigger or stronger. The bully does not realize that their youth, strength and perceived power are shore lived, one day all too soon, they too will be old and weak and one day they, like everyone else, will bow a knee to God and they will “have some splainin’ to do Lucy”. At any rate, Job is humiliated, beyond exhaustion, you can just feel how done with it all he is. In chapter 31 Job basically gives his closing argument, wagering his future standing pleading, “If I have done certain things then I ought to be punished greatly.”  Job won’t speak again until he is met by the Lord.

Job had declared that he did not try to hide his sin, as people often do. The fear that our sins, whether today’s or those of our youth, will be discovered leads us to be deceptive. To skirt around the truth or down right lie so that we will appear good to others. President Lincoln once said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”  The Bible tells us, God can never, as in not ever, be fooled either. God sees your heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” and 

Luke 16:15 tells us, “He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God's sight.”

Since it is our hearts God is examining, it begs the question; Shouldn’t we be more concerned with our souls than anything else? Of course we should! If we would give as much care to our hearts as we do our hair, teeth, makeup; if we would give as much time to our God as we do sports, TV, our screens, I dare say that we would be much more like Christ! We prepare our bodies and our surroundings to make the best possible impression upon those who see us, but are we forgetting to prepare our hearts for the One who sees and knows our every thought? When as Christians we become more interested in our bodies, toys and teams than in our souls, well, priorities have been misplaced.

I live in a state where right now, and even for most of last year, every other car and house is flying the number 12 flag big and proud. Where, cars are painted and fences are etched with the Seahawks logo. Where, seriously 9 out of every 10 people are wearing blue and green from painted fingernails, to colored hair, to stenciled on faces, even tattooed on their bodies, and all of them wearing Seahawks clothing. I have heard them shouting with joy to one another down the streets of their neighborhood with every score, crazy with jubilance over a win. Now, don’t get me wrong, while I am not an avid football fan, it is fun to see the home town team do so well, to go all the way, but . . . but what I long for, what I would really love to see is a day when we as Christians would rally up and share the joy of the Lord that is in our hearts and have it look as exuberant as that. You know what I mean? “John 3:16” and the fans go WILD!!! I know I am not alone out there. A day when it is “Praise God!” banners flying from the rooftops, and the entire state wearing “Jesus is King” jerseys and t-shirts. A day when His name is freely and joyfully shouted from our hearts to any and all who can hear and then echoed back by another. That makes sense … right? 

Where is you're heart today? If you are masking any sin, replacing God with any sort of idol, I would encourage you to cry out, “Change my heart, O God. Make it ever true. Change my heart, O God. Let me be like You.” He will honor that and release the chains that bind you. He loves you, every minute of every day, unconditionally. Amen?

Have a very good day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …