In ways that we could never imagine, Job was tested and tried because of his faith. In ways that may have caused us to buckle under the pressure, Job stayed true to God and endured his persecution. All because He knew his heavenly Father, and that a day was coming when he would unite with Him in Glory! What a lesson for us to ponder today as we meditate on the Word of God! Where does our strength come from?

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-05-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BY: Ed Algreen

SCRIPTURE FROM:  Job 19:25-27
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 25“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. 26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! 27 I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!

APPLICATION: At the beginning of the book of Job, God said of His servant Job that he was a true man of God who stood tall among all other men, and he was firm in his commitment to God, in spite of everything that came his way. Friends, we saw in the first 18 chapters of Job where Satan unleashed his power on this man of God and, yes it became very challenging and discouraging for Job. At one point, Job even wished he was never born. But praise to the God of heaven and the Savior of all mankind, Job never lost his allegiance to God. He knew that God was right there, and that it was he (Job) that needed to lift his eyes above the troubles and look towards the day when he would see God’s wonderful and loving face. I believe that when he wished that these words were written in stone for others to see and be encouraged by, he not only thought of us, but he also wished that he could be encouraged by his own words when additional discouraging times came. Job realized and acknowledged where his struggles came from, but he also firmly acknowledged where his strength came from. Satan is very powerful friends, but our God is head and shoulders above him! He created this universe and He is very capable of ruling and reigning over Satan and all of his deceptions, lies and devious acts that he could possibly unleash upon us while living in this old world. What a lesson this is for us! If we (believers) would take time to analyze the cause of our sin, our frustration, our weakness and our failings, perhaps we will be prompted, much like Job, to stand firm in our faith and the awesome power of our God, even when trials come our way. I believe that our application here is that we must make God so much a part of our daily lives that we will run to God with our challenges, frustrations, inadequacies and failures, knowing that He alone holds the key to helping us overcome temptations and the battle from the evil one. Perhaps then God might say, as He did about Job, that we endured because of Christ. Friends, let us pray like Job did, that our faith will be evident to our God, and to those around us, so that they might also draw close to God. Others hear of Jesus but they are constantly looking for proof of His existence in the lives of His children here on earth. Will they identify whose we are, and in whom we gain our strength and guidance? Although we may live each day in the fear of the evil one, may others see evidence of our faith in the great and mighty God of this universe! Job is commonly known for his faith in spite of his earthly battles and attacks from Satan. What might the world think of us as they look on, and expect to see in us? I love the last few words of Job in our Scripture! He gained strength in knowing that no matter what came his way here on earth, he knew that one day he would sit at the feet of Jesus worshipping and praising He and the Father forevermore. What a glorious hope that is for the child of God! Let us stand strong in our faith! Our God’s not dead, for He is very much alive in us each and every day!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are my hope and my strength in all that I contend with in this old world. My joy comes from You alone, and it causes me to reflect on heaven where I will spend eternity with my wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Thank You for loving me enough to make such provisions for me. Thank You for always being there for me! Please continue to give me strength to look above and beyond my troubles, and look towards the heavens and remember all the joys that are mine as a child of the King! Lord, more than we could ever imagine, You are fully aware of our challenges here on earth, and You know full well everything that my friends and I face on a daily basis. Please keep us focused on You, so that our challenging times down here will seem miniscule compared to the overwhelming joy that is ours when we join You in heaven. Thank You for watching over Job, yet allowing his true strength and joy to be revealed to us in the scriptures. May the light of Your Word always be the path that we follow all the days of our lives! AMEN!