Daily Devotional

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.

Scripture Job 24:23 He gives them security, and they rely on it; Yet His eyes are on their ways.

Observation: God’s security does not mean that we will always be safe here on earth or that no harm will come upon us. God’s security is much more than that. If we believe and trust in Him and that His son was offered as a living sacrifice for our sins then we have a security that will last forever. We are not going to win every battle we face here, or go without harm or even live without suffering on earth, but we are secure for all eternity in God’s love and protection. No matter what might happen to us here God knows and if we search for Him with all of our heart, mind and soul, He will reveal to us what we are to do.

Application: I need to stop fearing and trust in my security from God. I don’t want to suffer any pain or go through any more trials, but that is not realistic or God’s will. He wants to strengthen me and form me into someone He can use for His glory. I need to learn from everyday situations whether good or bad and see what God is teaching me. I need to trust in my Lord and feel secure in His arms and that He will fight the battle.

Prayer: Dear Lord here I am again, another day and still filled with fear of what might happen. I spend more time trying to figure out what is happening with my job and if I lose it where will I go. I know you know all things and that I’m secure in you and I might go through some hardships that I need to go through or maybe things will work out with my job, but all I want is to draw closer to You, to fulfill the purpose you have created me for and live a life worthy of your servant. I love you and want to prove it each day, help me do that, please.

Scripture Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

Observation: God has tested me in the past and I know I haven’t come forth as gold. I’m in the middle of a testing now with my job and the possibility that I might be out of work and though I say I trust my Lord my actions do not prove it out. I seem to live in fear more than anything else instead of trust. God knows the way I take and in most cases that is not the way He wanted me to go. I can’t do it without Him, yet I can’t seem to let go and let Him do His will in my life.

Application: I need to let go of my insecurities and trust that my loving Father will do what is best for me. I need to realize that things going along smoothly may not be in my best interest and will not grow me to be the man of God he desires of me. I need to learn to live a day at a time and not worry about tomorrow or dwell on the mistakes I made in the past. I don’t know how much longer I’m to be here, but whatever time is left it needs to honor my Lord.

Prayer: Forgive me Lord for my fear and lack of faith. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and guide me each day. Show me how to live and how to past the test so that I may come forth as gold and precious to You. I love you and you know my heart, help me please be what you desire me to be.

Scripture Job 22:2 “Can a man be profitable to God, Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?

Observation: What an interesting question, can we profitable to God? Everything we do even glorifying God is in our own best interest. God deserves all of our love, praise, worship and obedience, but does that profit God. God doesn’t need anything, He is God, so what can we give Him? I believe the most we can do is please our Heavenly Father, by being obedient and loving Him. I guess it’s a little like someone owing you money and they finally pay you back. Your glad that they paid you, but they owed it to you anyway.

Application: I need to realize honoring God and obeying Him is not an option, but my duty as His servant. I wake up each morning thinking of myself worrying about what to do, about my job, my health, my finances, me, me, me. I start my day by praying and asking for God’s guidance, but right after that I’m back on the me train throughout the day. I need to plan each day with God’s agenda in mind and to live a life that might be pleasing to Him. I need to stop disappointing Him.

Prayer: My Lord why can’t I get past myself? Help me please put you first in my life and not an afterthought after I mess up something. I’m a sinner and I need direction to be put on the path that will honor you. I love you and I do want to do what is right, but I can’t do it in this sinful nature of mine. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and guide me to please You.