Daily Devotional

Scripture Job 31:1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?

Observation: Some men may think since they have not actually had an affair with another woman, they held up their part of the marriage vows, but Jesus said even if you look at a woman with lust you have committed adultery. I’m guilty I look at things on the internet that I shouldn’t be looking at, stare to long at a woman, I’m guilty. I made a covenant with God and my wife that I would be faithful and that includes what I look at and how I think. I need to keep my promise and avoid searching out things to look at and purposely look at a woman the wrong way.

Application: I need to be the man and husband God calls me to be. I need to purpose in my heart not to look at things that I know are not honoring to my Lord and my wife. I need not to give into temptation and fight for what I know is right. The enemy is prowling and looking for every opportunity to make me fall and I need to be aware and not give in to His schemes, but call on God to help me with my thoughts and actions.

Prayer: Dear Lord help this poor sinner. Help me keep my covenant with my eyes, not to look at anything that would displease you, but honor you with my thoughts and actions every day. You deserve my best, as my wife does may t I honor both of you with all that I am.

Scripture Job 30:22 You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it; You spoil my success.

Observation: Job has been on a rant for a couple of chapters know blaming God for everything that has gone wrong. He has soon forgotten all of the blessings he has had most of his life and dwells on his current terrible situation. How many of us do the same thing when things don’t go right it’s God fault, because if He wanted to, He could make our situation better, but He doesn’t. We don’t ask God why we are dealing what we are dealing with, we just want out and it’s God fault that we have to deal with it. Can you imagine our life without God? If we don’t receive His son as our Lord and Savior, we will have eternity to experience it.

Application: I need to stop asking God to get me out of every problem that comes my way, instead I need to ask Him what He want me to learn or do while I’m there. I have an eternity of joy in a place that God has allowed me to stay so in perspective any time I spent here in trials or tribulations are only opportunities for me to earn rewards in my eternal home. I need to stop complaining and pray more to find out what my Lord desires me to do.

Prayer: My Lord thank you for all that you have given me. I thank you for the trials I have been through, because you lead me out of them, proving yourself trustworthy, gracious and forgiving. Teach me what you desire of me in this place. Show me what to do to earn rewards in my new home and draw closer to you. I love you and desire to please you, my God.

Scripture Job 29:18 “Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand.

Observation: So many of us think we have it all figured out. How old we might get what we will do for retirement, the position we will have in the future, that we won’t have any disabling sickness. This section was Job thinking how wonderful things used to be how he planned to live a long life of peace. The Bible tells us to be careful how we plan for ourselves because we are not sure of the hour we will die. We should live each day to glorify God, because that is the only thing that will last, it’s the only thing we’ll be able to take with us in the form of a reward. Our plans should be how are we going to live in a way that pleases God. We don’t know what might happen from day to day so we need to live each day the best we can.

Application: I don’t think of how good things are going to be, I think the opposite of how bad things might become. This is a sad way to live the life God has blessed me with. I need to live each day glorifying God and accomplishing something each day in His name. it’s so easy to do nothing and I need to work on the rewards that my Lord has set aside for me to earn. A day shouldn’t go by that I’m not working on something, like the CIA ministry or the book I started writing or the depression ministry or anything that God places in my path. I need to be doing something now, each day bit by bit to honor God.

Prayer: My Lord help me, fill me with the Holy Spirit and direct me each day to accomplish something for you. Help me help others that need to hear how you have blessed me and use the gifts and talents you have given me to honor you and to help others. I want to finish well, but can’t do it on my own, I need you each day and for always. I love you Lord help me live each day for you.

Scripture Job 28:28 And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”

Observation: Wisdom comes from doing the right things. Fearing God and realizing who He is and how powerful He is, is the beginning of wisdom. We forget too often when we pray, who we are praying to. God is the creator of all things, including ourselves, and he has allowed us to speak to him. Do we really realize what an awesome privilege we have? If we were able to speak to someone, we hold in admiration like a movie star or world figure, how would we act? We probably be nervous and tongue tied, but felt that we are unbelievably fortunate to be able to speak to them. Now here is the creator of all things, we should feel that same privileged emotion to be able to be able to speak to Him and that He listens and cares for us. Once we realize that, is the beginning of wisdom and when we feel His presence that will keep us from evil.

Application: I need to realize how blessed I am to be a child of God and that I have the privilege of coming near to Him in prayer. That me knowing this is wisdom and if I ask, He will give me more than I can imagine. As long as God is on my mind and in my heart, that will keep me from evil, because God and evil cannot coexist in the same place. So, as I stay away from evil I’m drawing closer to God.

Prayer: My Lord thank you for allowing me to come before you. May I understand and gain wisdom from you in what you desire of your servant. I want to do what you want of me and I want to be a better servant to you. Please speak to me and guide me each day on what you want of me. Draw me close to you that I might know you.

Scripture Job 27:6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.

Observation: I should never take my righteousness for granted. I wish I was righteous all of the time or at least most of the time, but that isn’t so. Maybe if I treasured it more and appreciated the true feeling of being righteous I might what to experience it more. When I do something, I need to know what I’m doing is right and that it is pleasing to my Lord. Unfortunately, too many times during the day my thoughts and actions are not pleasing and I throw my righteousness away once again. I need to feel blessed when I do the right thing, not to be conceded but know what I’m doing honors God and not myself.

Application: I need to weigh every decision I make to see if it is righteous or not. If what I’m doing or about to do does not honor God than I need not to it, but if it is right I need not only do it, but feel good about it so I want to do it always. Unfortunately, sin feels good for the moment, but then destroys. I need to rid my sinful thoughts and actions and fill them with what honors my Lord making every decision count as a future blessing or reward.

Prayer: My Lord, you know me, you know the sinner I am and I can’t control myself on my own. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and guide me this day to do what is right and honoring to you. May I hurt when I do anything against your will and that you will teach me not to do it again. Help me live a righteous life, a life that glorifies you. For you deserve the best that I have every day.

Scripture Job 26:14 Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

Observation: We are never going to fully understand God His ways our higher than ours and our finite minds have no chance of understanding our Lord fully. However, we don’t need to know everything about God, all we need to know is what God wants from us. His word describes how we are to live and that we are to obey His commands. He has made it clear the kind of life we need to live and has given us a to do list of things to get accomplished while we’re here. We know His power is above our understanding and we need to fear that, to keep our Lord in awe. God speaks to us each day however we might pick up only a thought or two, so we need to spend more time with Him and listen intently to what He is saying to us.

Application: I should be quiet and obedient. I’ve become so lazy lately that I don’t do anything or the little I do doesn’t amount to much. God has directed me to work on a book that I started but don’t even look at any more. He has given me a gift of a testimony that can help others and talents in cooking and organizing that I use periodically. I need to be sold out to my Lord. I’m anxious and worried about what might happen with my job without taking into account that God has the power to direct my life in any direction He desires. I need to get going and trusting my Lord and accomplish what He has in store for me.

Prayer: My Lord I’m so tired anymore. I can’t get motivated and I need to and want to honor you with what you place on my path. I’m here to serve put a fire under me and get me going, may I be an example of a servant that pleases you, my Lord. I love you and do want to be a blessing to you.

Scripture Job 25:4 How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?

Observation: We can’t be righteous before God, only through the sacrifice of Jesus can we come before our Father in prayer. So why bother with us at all? God has put on my heart for some time that we are created in God’s image and that means our emotional side as well. As parents we want to be obeyed and loved for who we are. We want our children to look up to us and want to spend time with us. I believe so many answers to our questions about God can be answered in part by looking at our earthly parent and child relationships. We will never be able to love our children as God loves, but we can see why God puts up with us as much as He does. He wants us to love Him without conditions and wants to spend time with Him. God wants a relationship with us and not a forced one but one that we desire Him.

Application: I need to start looking at God more as my heavenly Father. My father wasn’t a very good dad and I was probably a worse father then him. There were things that I wanted from him as his child and things that I wanted from my children as their dad. I need to do those things with love do my true Father. I need to live a life with Him as the center and not me. I need to stop worrying about everything and trust in Him. As I wanted to be a proud dad, I want my Father to be proud that I’m His child and my love for Him is obvious to everyone I come in contact with.

Prayer: Hi Dad. I know I haven’t been a good and faithful son to you, but I want you to know that I love you and want to do better. May you be in my thoughts throughout every day and that I will put what you want for me first. I want to be able to come home in a way that I would have pleased you and did what you desired of me. That when I see you for the first time that I can run into your arms knowing that you were proud of me. I love you Father fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me live the rest of this life in glory and honor to you.