#DailyDevotion Are You Getting Better Than You Deserve?
February 12th
Read Job 8:1–22
Job 8:4-6 If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression. (5) If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy, (6) if you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation… 20 “Behold, God will not reject a blameless man, nor take the hand of evildoers. (21) He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting. (22) Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
Bildad really isn’t much help to Job and probably even less help to us in our suffering. Can we really point to some horrible disaster and say they must have committed an equally grievous sin for that to happen to them? When disaster comes upon us that is particularly bad must we point to some sin in our life and say we deserve this because of that? Hardly. While it is true that some sins and even many sins often come with but not always disastrous results they do not always. So those having sex outside the bounds of marriage may contract some horrible sexually transmitted disease but they do not always. Yet some through no fault of their own may get the same disease without committing the sin. It isn’t always so easy.
On the other hand, we cannot ever really say we don’t deserve whatever evil may come our way. The Scriptures are clear, Rom 3:10 …”None is righteous, no, not one; (11) no one understands; no one seeks for God. (12) All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” So whatever retributive justice the Lord may send our way we certainly do deserve it. But the Lord doesn’t send retributive justice to his children. They are under grace. So if we suffer if is from his fatherly hand chastising and disciplining our flesh that our faith may be purified. Even still, if the Father dishes out any retributive justice its point is not merely to cause suffering but to bring about contrition and repentance. He shows us in Revelation: Rev 16:9 “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. (10) The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish (11) and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.” For God does not desire the death of the sinner but that he turns for his ways and live.
Bildad does give us this aright though. We can seek the mercies of God in Christ Jesus. If we turn to the Father and beg for him to show us the mercies won for us in Christ Jesus, the Father will not fail to turn to us with his merciful hand. He will show us kindness and love. He may yet not take from us our suffering. He told St. Paul, “My power is made perfect in weakness.” But we can stand up underneath it knowing our Father in heaven loves us and is working these things for good for us.
Lord God Heavenly Father, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean and deserve no good thing from you. But for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy upon us and grant us faith that we will be able to stand firm in the days of trouble. In Jesus’ name. Amen.