WISDOM IS TO FEAR THE LORD! And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’ —Job 28:28 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever! —Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. —Proverbs 1:7             What is it to fear the Lord?  We are told to do so is wisdom.  To fear the Lord is to have a proper perspective as to Who He Is and to be obedient to Him out of love for Him. …

PRIORITIES I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food. —Job 23:12 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. —John 4:34             What is of most important to you?  Job said that he “treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”  Do we have that same attitude?  Are you more apt to miss a meal at the table than missing the feeding on God’s Word?  How important is the Word of God to you?  Are you listening daily and through the…

DON’T BE SHORT-SIGHTED! Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? —Job 21:7 They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. —Job 21:13-14             Sometimes we may have the tendency to look at others and wonder “Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?”  Sometimes it may seem like their lives are better off than those who are following the Lord.  But this is short-sighted thinking.             Even though the wicked may “spend their days in prosperity, and in…

IN SORROW I LOOK TO MY REDEEMER! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God. —Job 19:25-26             In the midst of his loss, pain, sorrow and lack of support, Job focused on the Hope that he had.  He had a Redeemer His Redeemer lives His Redeemer would be seen in the last days His Redeemer would stand upon the earth in the last days His body would be destroyed His body anew would see God This Hope is what sustains Job and is also…

BE AN ENCOURAGER! Then Job answered and said: “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all. —Job 15:1-2 My spirit is broken; my days are extinct; the graveyard is ready for me. —Job 17:1             What kind of counselor are you to those whose “spirit is broken” because of what they have gone through or are going through?  Job was brought very low and in this state he described his “friends” as miserable comforters.  You would hope that his friends would bring light and hope, but they did not.             How about you and I?  Do we bring hope and light to those who are broken?  Oh, that…

REACH ONE FOR JESUS! And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the…

IN SORROW— PONDER THE GREATNESS OF GOD! I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me. —Job 10:1-2 Why did you bring me out from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me. —Job 10:18 Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.  —Job 11:6 In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. —Job 12:10 With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and…

ENCOURAGE THOSE LACKING HOPE! When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn. —Job 7:4 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. —Job 7:11 If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression. —Job 8:4 Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish. —Job 8:13             Job is in such anguish.  He lost his business.  He lost all his children.  He…

YOU DON’T KNOW A PERSON’S HEART! As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. —Job 4:8 His children are far from safety; they are crushed in the gate, and there is no one to deliver them. —Job 5:4 Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. —Job 5:17 Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray. —Job 6:24             What kind of counselor are you?  Job’s friends surely were not encouraging or helpful.  They got it wrong.  We must be very careful and not think that we know what…

MY SERVANT And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” —Job 1:8 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” —Job 2:3             Have you ever considered how our Lord would describe you?  I have… It is truly amazing as I…