Our Fear of God and Our Integrity
Eventually, the Lord allowed Satan to take Job's health from him in addition to everything else he had already taken away. This threw Job into a deep depression, but he did not forsake God or sin against Him. When Job's friends came to see him covered in boils and sufferings so greatly, they were silent before him a week, until Eliphaz spoke up. He tried to help Job, but he simply did not understand the whole situation. However, he began by complimenting Job, because he knew he was a man of faith in God. (Job 4:6) His question to Job is our focus today.
Eliphaz could not understand why Job was so impatient and depressed. He should have known that the grief process takes us through those feelings and more. He did try to reassure Job by asking him a two part question. "Is not your fear of God your confidence,?" was the first part of his question. He knew that Job had a very healthy fear of God. He believed in Him, and He honored God in so many ways. It was obvious that Job had a personal relationship with Almighty God. Therefore, should he not have confidence that everything would turn out alright? Eliphaz had a good point here, but Job was grieving too much to see that in all of his hurt. Also, he asked Job, is not the "integrity of your ways your hope?" This is also a good point. When we walk in integrity before the Lord, and we know He sees our heart and knows our integrity, we should have a secure hope that God will see us through whatever may come. However, again the grief did not allow Job to grasp this truth at that time.
How about all of us? Do we have confidence because of our fear of God, and do we have hope because of the integrity of our ways? If we are not grieving so sorely like Job, we should be able to experience that type of confidence in the Lord and that sure hope. If not, we have something else wrong in our lives or in our faith relationship with the Lord. Let's all make sure we get our fear of God and the integrity of our ways right so Satan will not be able to throw anything at us to separate us from the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 5-7.
Eliphaz could not understand why Job was so impatient and depressed. He should have known that the grief process takes us through those feelings and more. He did try to reassure Job by asking him a two part question. "Is not your fear of God your confidence,?" was the first part of his question. He knew that Job had a very healthy fear of God. He believed in Him, and He honored God in so many ways. It was obvious that Job had a personal relationship with Almighty God. Therefore, should he not have confidence that everything would turn out alright? Eliphaz had a good point here, but Job was grieving too much to see that in all of his hurt. Also, he asked Job, is not the "integrity of your ways your hope?" This is also a good point. When we walk in integrity before the Lord, and we know He sees our heart and knows our integrity, we should have a secure hope that God will see us through whatever may come. However, again the grief did not allow Job to grasp this truth at that time.
How about all of us? Do we have confidence because of our fear of God, and do we have hope because of the integrity of our ways? If we are not grieving so sorely like Job, we should be able to experience that type of confidence in the Lord and that sure hope. If not, we have something else wrong in our lives or in our faith relationship with the Lord. Let's all make sure we get our fear of God and the integrity of our ways right so Satan will not be able to throw anything at us to separate us from the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 5-7.