The Righteous are Steadfast
Job was having a terrible time. He lost his family, his possessions, and his own health. His wife was not helping him, and his friends were ridiculing him for saying he was righteous. There was all kinds of pressure on him to just give in and agree that he must be unrighteous before God, since that is what most people thought. However, he did not give in to this temptation, even though he was an object of scorn. Some righteous people were appalled at his situation, and others were aroused to be against him. However, he was determined to hold to his way through the trouble and even to grow stronger in his resolve to remain righteous. (Job 17:6,8,9) This is a great lesson for all of us.
Are we swayed by what people think of us and what people say about us, or are we driven by what the Lord thinks of us? I believe it is critical that our lives be based on God's view of us. If we are convinced in our heart that God is pleased with us, and we are right with Him, we should remain steadfast in our righteousness before Him. We should not listen to the ridicule of those who are against us. We should not be shaken, even if we suffer physically. Our hands are clean before God, so we will grow stronger, if we hold on to Him, instead of letting others bring us down. I pray this is true for all of us, but if not, I pray that we will decide now to remain steadfast in our trust in the Lord, no matter what happens in our lives, like Job did.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 19-21.
Are we swayed by what people think of us and what people say about us, or are we driven by what the Lord thinks of us? I believe it is critical that our lives be based on God's view of us. If we are convinced in our heart that God is pleased with us, and we are right with Him, we should remain steadfast in our righteousness before Him. We should not listen to the ridicule of those who are against us. We should not be shaken, even if we suffer physically. Our hands are clean before God, so we will grow stronger, if we hold on to Him, instead of letting others bring us down. I pray this is true for all of us, but if not, I pray that we will decide now to remain steadfast in our trust in the Lord, no matter what happens in our lives, like Job did.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 19-21.