Passage of the Day: Job 14 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: If you go back and read Chapter 13 of Job, as well as today’s focus passage in Chapter 14, we read Job weighing in on some pretty heady theological and emotional issues. Probably one of the heaviest of these issues is found in Job 14,verse 14,which reads …
If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service I will wait,
Till my change comes.
If my readers are Christian, I hope you have this issue totally settled in your mind/heart. These are two of the ultimate questions of this life, which are … “Where am I going after this life; and … is what I’m doing in this life worthwhile?”
Poor Job’s perspective on this life at the point of our reading today had changed drastically because of the horrible set of circumstances which had been set in motion by the interplay of God and Satan. However, here is Job, contemplating the value of the rest of his life in light of where he will be in the afterlife.
Do you know, that you know that you know, where you’ll be if this life is no more – maybe even today? I hope you KNOW, absolutely know, the answer to that one. Job knew that he would be with God after his life was over; but now he was contemplating what the meaning of the remaining portion of his life would be like in God’s scheme of things. And Swindoll, in dealing with this meaning for existence and living by faith, points his readers to a New Testament verse – 2nd Cor. 5: 10, which states, … For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
So, here we have poor Job, with nothing from a human point of view to show for his life. Where are you in your life? Has all you’ve done to this point been meaningful and directed toward God’s glory? Because if all seems but a loss, now is the time to make a decision to move forward and make the rest of your life pertinent and powerful in God’s eyes.
Once we have the “heaven verses hell” question settled, which, of course is the most important pre-death question, the only thing left before us lies the answer to what we’re going to do to lay up rewards for ourselves and for God in heaven. And the answer to that pointed question will determine how we live the rest of our lives.
Job was in a pretty crucial place in his life; and we can certainly understand his confusion and vexation. However, he too was in the place of pondering the meaning of the rest of his life. And so do we? This very morning, I can choose to seek God’s will and purpose for my life, or I can lay down with a defeatist attitude and do little or nothing for God’s glory. Only I can determine what my answer will be to that old platitude, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”
I can only pray now - right here - that what I will do today will bring honor and glory to my God; and I will begin to forge the rewards that will await me in glory. How about you?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, forge me into an instrument of Your purpose. Amen
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1 comment:
Bill, you are one of the most purpose-driven and effective people I know. Of you, God will say, "Well done, Thou good and faithful servant." Thanks for the reminder, though. It is one we all need. You know, the sad thing is most Christians don't realize just how fulfilling and abundant life could be if they would simply surrender all for the purpose of living in and serving Christ.
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