For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
You will be better off if people think well of you than if you have great riches. Choose a life of integrity where people know that you stand by your word rather than a life of wealth and power. You will have more happiness and contentment as a result of the former than from the latter.
God does not desire our sacrifices or our offerings. He desires that we do His will. We have nothing with which we can buy His favor, because all that we have was given to us by Him in the first place. It is only by following His law that we can find true joy. If we seek to do His will and to serve Him, we will find His instructions written on our hearts.
Paul here gives good advice about setting aside some of our money in order to help others. We should not plan on waiting until some future time to gather up money in order to do God’s work. Rather each time we receive payment for our work, we should put some aside for God, whether that is donating it to the Church or setting up a special account. If we leave the money in our general account we will soon find that we have spent it on other things.
The passage continues to point out that it is neither helpful, nor right, to judge someone as guilty of heinous crimes solely because they are suffering. The fact that someone is suffering is NOT evidence that they have done wrong. Despite Job asking for a stronger argument, Bildad still repeats the accusation based on nothing more than Job’s suffering. Let us not make the same mistake. Let us remember not to judge someone as wicked simply because they are suffering.
Job continues to express his deep despair, condemned by his closest friends for sins he has not committed. Then he makes one of the most beautiful statements of faith, one that brings tears to my eyes:
and he will stand upon the earth at last.
And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!
I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!
There is a wonderful hymn based on this passage that I think I want sung at my funeral. This verse is one we should always keep in mind when we consider those believers who have died. There is a resurrection and they will see God in their bodies, even though they have died.