Bible Devotions for Living

You know about Job from the Old Testament. God allowed the devil to take away his wealth, kids, and health. In his misery, Job struggled to understand why God would allow it and accused God of injustice (Job 27:2).

God responded to Job’s accusation:

⁶ Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: ⁷ Get ready to answer Me like a man; When I question you, you will inform Me. ⁸ Would you really challenge My justice? Would you declare Me guilty to justify yourself? (Job 40:6-8)

Look in the Mirror

Before thinking you would never do that, think again. Even we believers can do this when life gets hard, or when things just don’t seem fair.

Look at Asaph in Psalm 73:

³ For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴ They have an easy time until they die,and their bodies are well fed. ⁵ They are not in trouble like others; they are not afflicted like most people … ⁸ They mock, and they speak maliciously; they arrogantly threaten oppression. ⁹ They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues strut across the earth … ¹² Look at them—the wicked! They are always at ease, and they increase their wealth. ¹³ Did I purify my heart and wash my hands in innocence for nothing? ¹⁴ For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning. (Ps 73:3-14)

Asaph became bitter and envious because he thought the wicked had it so easy while he, a faithful follower of God, suffered constantly. He felt like his efforts to be pure were for nothing.

Do you ever get that bitter feeling when you see people living in sinful ways, getting away with everything, while you’re trying to follow God and still face troubles? When you feel that way you are basically questioning God’s justice.

Do you become angry at God, bitter, or question Him when something goes wrong in your life or your health fails?

Do you question God’s goodness, justice, or holiness to make yourself feel better? Do you ever do it to justify yourself?

Honestly examine yourself to see if you accuse God or question His justice or try to justify yourself.

You might do it more than you think.

The Remedy

The remedy for accusing or questioning God or trying to justify yourself is to come to your senses. That’s exactly what Job and Asaph eventually did.

Job realized he spoke about things he didn’t understand:

Then Job answered the Lord and said, “² I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted. ³ You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel with ignorance?’ Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” (Job 42:1-4)

Asaph realized his bitterness was foolish:

²¹ When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, ²² I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. (Ps 73:21-22)

Don’t turn on God when things get tough. He loves you. He loves you so much that He died for you to be saved when you didn’t deserve His mercy. Anything He allows into your life is to make you more like Jesus (2 Cor 3:18) and it will be worth it in the end:

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us … (Rom 8:18)

¹⁷ For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. (2 Cor 4:17)

We are the clay; God is the potter.

²⁰ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” ²¹ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (Rom 9:20-21 – ESV)

Think about it

Are you ever guilty of thinking God is not fair?

Do you get upset when bad people seem to prosper but you have troubles even though you are living right?

Do you get upset with God when things go wrong in your life?

Do you ever try to justify yourself by accusing God?

Be honest with yourself: Do you ever question God’s goodness, justice, holiness, to justify your own feelings or circumstances?