Job’s three “friends” give up                               verse 1

 

So these three men ceased to answer Job

BECAUSE he was righteous in his own eyes

 

Elihu angry with “friends” and Job                    verse 2- 5

 

THEN was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite

of the kindred of Ram – against Job was his wrath kindled

      BECAUSE he justified himself rather than God

Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled

BECAUSE they had found no answer

and yet had condemned Job

Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken

BECAUSE they were elder than he

when Elihu saw that there was no answer

in the mouth of these three men

THEN his wrath was kindled

 

Elihu introduces himself as younger than rest    verse 6- 10

 

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered

and said

I am young – and you are very old – wherefore I was afraid

and did not show you mine opinion

I said – Days should speak – and multitude of years should teach wisdom

            BUT there is a spirit in man

                        and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them

understanding

            Great men are not always wise

                        neither do the aged understand judgment

THEREFORE I said

            Hearken to me – I also will show mine opinion

Elihu believes Spirit wants him to speak             verse 11- 22

 

BEHOLD – I waited for your words

I gave ear to your reasons – while you searched out what to say

Yea – I attended to you – and – BEHOLD

            there was none of you that convinced Job

                        or that answered his words – lest you should say

                                    We have found out wisdom

                                                God thrusts him down – not man

Now he has not directed his words against me

            neither will I answer him with your speeches

They were amazed – they answered no more – they left off speaking

when I had waited (for they spoke not

but stood still and answered no more)

I said – I will answer also my part – I also will show mine opinion

            for I am full of matter – the spirit within me constrains me

                        BEHOLD – my belly is as wine which has no vent

                                    it is ready to burst like new bottles

I will speak – that I may be refreshed

            I will open my lips and answer

Let me not – I pray you – accept any man’s person

            neither let me give flattering titles to man

                        for I know not to give flattering titles

                                    in so doing my MAKER

would soon take me away

 

 

COMMENTARY:

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

 

: 1  So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his

own eyes. (6662 “righteous” [tsaddiyq] means just, innocent, in the right, upright, devout, characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice)

DEVOTION:  We should know if we are righteous in the eyes of the LORD or just in our own eyes. Here we find that the “friends” of Job thought that Job was only righteous in his own eyes and not in the eyes of the LORD.

We need to make sure that when we look at our life that we are trying to be righteous in the eyes of the LORD and not in our own eyes only. This takes work because we have to make sure that we are confessing our sins on a daily basis. We have to make sure that we are not comparing ourselves with other people who say they are righteous.

The only way that we can know if we are righteous is that we have to go to the LORD daily and confess our sins and ask HIM to reveal if there are any hidden sins that we need to deal with in our lives.

We have all seen people who think they are righteous but their actions say something different. I used to work for a man who was a leader in his church but when it came to the business he owned he would look for ways to see that he had the advantage in any transaction. He didn’t treat his employees well. He tried to find ways to take things that the person who purchased them through the contract would not know if they were missing.

We know when we are acting righteous and when we are righteous in the eyes of the LORD. This is why we have to examine ourselves on a regular basis to make sure we are being honest with ourselves about our relationship with the LORD.

CHALLENGE: When was the last time you took a self-examination test to see if you were acting righteous?

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

 

: 2        Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. (6663 “justified” [tsadaq] means to be in the right, to consider something to be in right standing regarding a standard, righteous, straight, or prove innocence)

DEVOTION: Here we find that Elihu thought that Job was justifying himself rather than letting God justify him. He considered Job to be self-righteous rather than genuinely righteous.

Elihu thought that he was a good judge of character and that the three men who had been giving advice to Job were not doing a good joy. He was younger than the rest so he waited until they were done and then gives his opinion of the situation.

Sometimes those who are young think they know better than those who are old. The opposite is true as well. We have individuals who think they have all the answers and they are always right regarding a situation.

Too often we find that we really don’t know the whole situation and give a judgment based on only a little information.

We know that this test was the LORD allowing Satan to test Job to see if he would curse God and die. This is the answer Satan was looking for in this situation. We also realize that Job didn’t know what was going on between the LORD and Satan.
He just knew that he was facing the worst time of his life and that his friends were not helping him and now he had a young man who thought he knew what was happening and that Job was wrong in his actions.

How would we handle this situation in our life if there seemed to be that all our circumstances were negative but we thought we were serving the LORD and yet the LORD allowed all these negative things to happen to us?

The only way we would know our reaction is if the LORD allowed it to happen to us. If this happened what would our reaction be to the circumstances? We need to watch out that we are not like this young man and the older men when we are trying to counsel a friend who is going through a hard time.

CHALLENGE: If we have a friend who is a believer who is going through a rough time we need to stop and ask the LORD for wisdom to give good advice or just pray with the individual.

_________________________________________________________

 

            : 7        I said, Days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

(3045 “teach” [yada] means to cause something to be known to someone, perhaps particularly through instruction, observe, be aware, to make known, or declare)

DEVOTION:  Elihu was right in the fact that those who are older should have more wisdom than those who are young but this is not always true. There are people who have wasted their life on learning all the wrong things regarding the LORD and HIS work in our lives.

There are many false teachers who have more education than others but still give the wrong answers to what is happening in a person’s life. They have answers but they are not the ones found in the Word of God.

Wisdom has to come from the Word of God, the Bible. There are many with an education that are not smart in Biblical truth but they have human answers to Biblical problems in humans who are born sinners and sin until they die.

So Elihu is correct in the fact that age doesn’t mean Biblical answers to life’s questions. Job is wondering why all this was happening to him and yet the only thoughts that came from his “friends” and Elihu were human wisdom and not Godly wisdom.

We have the responsibility to understand the Word of God through instructions from others, as well as, our personal study in the word of God. Our prayer life should be one where we are turning to the LORD for answers to what is happening in our lives and waiting on HIM to answer.

Job had a problem with this because he was not thinking straight during his time of tribulation that the LORD allowed in his life. We need to realize that the LORD can do the same thing in our life to cause us to grow in our knowledge of HIM and also to learn to wait on HIM for answers that only HE can give in HIS timing.

CHALLENGE: We need to make sure that we are one of those who thinks they have all the answers to other people’s problems but look to the LORD for guidance for all the instructions we want to give others.

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

 

 

: 8        But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding. (5397 “inspiration” [neshamah] means a puff, wind, vital breath, intellect soul, spirit)

DEVOTION:  Youth sometimes think they have all the answers. This one waited until the older men spoke and then spoke. He was angry at them for not proving their point. He believed that Job was guilty. He believed that they gave up too soon. He didn’t think anyone should challenge God.

The three “friends” of Job had ended their debate with Job. They believed he was a sinner and that is why all these things happened to him. Job believed that he had not sinned but that God was not acting in HIS normal way to him. He wanted God to talk with him about what was happening in his life.

Now Elihu was the fourth individual there for all the conversations. He listened to all that was said. He understood all that was said. He waited until all the older men had said their speech. Now it was his turn.

He told them that he couldn’t just sit by and say nothing. He told them that the Almighty was giving him discernment regarding what was happening to Job. [The end of the book doesn’t say anything wrong about Elihu.] Elihu believe that his spirit was given wisdom from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was in him. He was going to speak what the Holy Spirit had breathed into his life regarding this issue.

He was not going to give flattering titles to people. He was not going to be a respecter of persons. He told them that just because they were older, they didn’t have to have more wisdom, then he did. God gives wisdom to those who seek it. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Sometimes older men don’t have the fear of the LORD. Sometimes older men/women have been in the church for forty or more years and still are only one year old in the wisdom department.

There are some young men in our churches who have the same spirit of Elihu in them. We need to listen to the young men at times. Paul told Timothy to not let people despise because of his youth.

Are we listening to all those who have wisdom from above, even if they are young? The LORD used young David to kill Goliath. HE used a little boy with some small fish to feed five thousand.

CHALLENGE: Listen to young people. Sometimes their wisdom is from above. Listen to your own children. When they speak and we listen we might be surprised at their wisdom.

___________________________

 

      : 8        “But there is a spirit in man: And the inspiration of the Almighty giveth

                  them understanding [תְּבִינֵם].^”

The spirit that Job references is the same spirit that is mentioned in Job 33:4.  It is the Holy Spirit who gives man the insight about God and life that is mentioned here.  The understanding that Elihu talks about is knowing about something in an in-depth way.  It is known what the right thing to do is in any situation.  How often have we asked God what His will is for our lives? Often, we ask this question concerning life decisions that we face, rather than ask about everyday choices that we make.  The idea of knowledge used in the Bible is about an intimate knowledge of someone.  Understanding is based on this kind of knowledge of God.  What are we doing to get to know the Lord better?  What choices are we making right now that need to be brought before the Lord? (Marc Wooten)

______________________________________________________________

 

            : 22      For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would

soon take me away. (3655 “flattering titles” [kanah] means to give someone a name of honor, to praise somewhat dishonestly, cognomen, or give an epithet.

DEVOTION:  Usually we think of someone who says nice things about us when they don’t really know us is not good. We usually watch out for that type of person because usually they want something from us that we probably shouldn’t give them.

Those who start out with nice words that are looking for compliments are not worthy of the compliments but still want them. We can usually judge these individuals because it is a habit in their life.

God doesn’t want us to be dishonest with people. HE wants us to be honest. If we don’t have something good to say we usually should say nothing at all.

If we know the person well, we might be able to tell them that it is not wise to be looking for compliments all the time.

Elihu thinks that if he just said nice things to please people that the LORD would take his life. This might not happen but the LORD can’t use someone who is always saying nice things about people who are acting wrong in the sight of the LORD.

Job was trying to figure out what was going on in his life but he didn’t have all the answers either. He was confused and the LORD would end that confusing in the end but during this present time there was confusion.

People like Job who are confused need us to make sure that we are trying to be honest with them but also not condemning them if we don’t know if they have done something wrong.

God sometimes throughout the Bible challenges those HE wants to grow with challenges they don’t think they deserve but it is for their own good and for their growth. When we see someone who is going through these times, we need to pray for them and encourage them with words the LORD would want us to use.

CHALLENGE:  Praying for wisdom when helping those who are going through hard times is always necessary. Keep this in mind each time you are called on to help others.

           

_______________________________________________________________

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

 

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

 

            Multitude of years should teach wisdom    verse 7

 

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

 

__________________________________________________________________

 

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

 

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

 

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)                        verse 2, 13

Almighty                                                                    verse 8

Inspiration of the Almighty                                      verse 8

Maker                                                                         verse 22

 

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

 

Spirit within                                                              verse 18

 

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)    

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

 

      Three men: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar              verse 1, 3

                  Thought Job was righteous in his own eyes

                  Condemned Job

      Job                                                                              verse 1

      Elihu                                                                           verse 2- 22

                  Wrath against Job

                  Thought Job justified himself rather

                              than God

                  Wrath against Job’s three friends

                              because they had no answers

                  I am young

                  Multitude of years should teach wisdom

                  Three friends didn’t convinced Job

                  Waited to show opinion

                  Didn’t want to accept any man’s person

                  Not going to give flattering titles

 

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

 

Flattering titles                                                          verse 21, 22

 

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

 

Righteous                                                                   verse 1

Justified                                                                      verse 2

Teach wisdom                                                            verse 7

Understanding                                                           verse 8

 

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

_____________________________________________________________

 

DONATIONS:

 

Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org.  Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church, please use that method.  Thank you.

_____________________________________________________________

 

QUOTES regarding passage

 

Finally Elihu finished his prefatory remarks and arrived at the substance of his first speech. Essentially it is not a refutation of Job’s claims to innocence but a discourse on how God deals with his people and something of an apologetic for the value of suffering. In that he did not simply counter Job, or insist that he must be a sinner, or charge him with duplicity, Elihu is to be commended more than the other three. Whether he has the ultimate answer and a satisfying solution for Job remains to be seen. (Alden, R. L. (1993). Job (Vol. 11, p. 325). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)

______________________________________________________________

21–22 The use of אַל־נָא (ʾal-nāʾ) is hardly indicative mood. Elihu seems to have been saying, “Please do not expect me to show partiality.” In the second half of this verse and in the first half of v.22, the verb כָּנָה (kānāh) means “to call someone by his honorific title,” a practice Elihu felt God disapproved. (Smick, E. B. (1988). Job. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 1003). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

_____________________________________________________

32:20–22. Elihu felt compelled to speak, to reply to the three and to Job. Yet in his responses he would not take sides (he disagreed with both sides) nor would he flatter either party in an effort to win its favor. He said that to be guilty of flattery, an unfair tactic, would mean God, who gave him life (my Maker; cf. 4:17; 9:9; 35:10; 36:3; 40:19), would take it away. (Zuck, R. B. (1985). Job. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 757). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

_______________________________________________________

Elihu may have been impartial but he was by no means neutral. He was too angry for that! He promised to deal only with issues, but some of the things he said in his anger were more personal than philosophical. But he did keep his promise and not flatter anyone (vv. 21–22). As you read his speech, you will notice that six times he addressed Job by his first name (33:1; 34:5, 7, 35, 36; 35:16), something that even Job’s three closest friends had not done in their many speeches. In the East, it was most unusual for a younger man to address his elders in such a familiar way. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Patient (p. 124). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

_______________________________________________________

Ver. 21. Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, &c.] Neither the person of Job, because of his poverty and affliction, indulging too much to pity and commiseration, and affecting to get a good name from others for it; nor the persons of his three friends, on account of their wealth and grandeur; for neither the persons of the poor, nor of the rich, are to be regarded in judgment, or in the decision of any matter between them, but truth and justice are to be attended to; see Exod. 23:3; Lev. 19:15. Elihu was determined with himself not to respect the person of any, and he hopes that Job and his friends would bear with him, and excuse him on that account: neither let me give flattering titles unto men; he does not mean titles of civil honour and respect, which belong to men, and are in common use among men, according to the different stations of life men are in; for honour is to be given to whom it is due; and it is no piece of flattery to give men their proper and usual titles, as it was not in the Evangelist Luke, and in the Apostle Paul, Luke 1:3; Acts 26:25. but he means such titles that don’t belong to men, and are unsuitable unto them, and only given them by way of flattery; as to call a man wise and prudent when he is the reverse; or a holy, just, and good man, when he is a very wicked one. Elihu was resolved not to act such a part, and he hopes the persons he had to deal with would not take it amiss that he spake his mind plainly and freely, and called a spade a spade; nor must they or any other expect to be complimented by him with the characters of wise and prudent, just and good, if they did not appear to him to be so. According to Ben Gersom the sense is, that he would not hide a man’s name under epithets, but call him by his proper name; he would not do as they had done by Job, who, under covert names, meant him; as when they described a wicked man, and an hypocrite, designed him, but did not say so in express words; now Elihu suggests, that, should Job or they appear to him to have acted a wrong part, he should tell them plainly of it, and say, thou art the man. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 453–454). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

_________________________________________________________

6–22. The whole of these verses seems to be but as the preface to Elihu’s discourse. He bespeaks the favour of his hearers, and apologizeth for what he might offer; but, to conciliate their minds, he tells them, that he is bursting to deliver what he had to say, so important it is in his view. The frame of mind in Elihu, and the earnestness he felt to be useful in this controversy, may serve to teach how much a soul that is full of Jesus, and longs to go forth in his name and salvation, for the good of others, may be supposed to feel in his labour of love. To be shut up in a corner, and prohibited from speaking of the Lord, when we see souls perishing for lack of knowledge, what a grief must this be to faithful servants of the Lord Jesus! Jeremiah describes his state under this affliction, and saith, That the word of the Lord was in his heart, as a burning fire shut up in his bones, so that he was weary with forbearing, and could not stay. Jeremiah 20:9. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 119). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

__________________________________________________________

 

FROM MY READING:

 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

___________________________________________________________

“It is easy to fly into a passion—anybody can do that,” wrote Aristotle. “But to be angry with the right person to the right extent and at the right time and with the right object and in the right way—that is not easy, and it is not everyone who can do it.”  (Warren Wiersbe)

______________________________________________________________

 

GIVING THANKS

 

by Anne R. C. Neale

 

To all those wonderful people who prepare and send out daily

Prayer news letters,

Your wonderful effort is noted and there are no other people any better,

Your devotion of sending people’s ” prayers needed emails “is noted sent from you,

All your time and effort you put into it is also noted too.

We all appreciate all your listings of the individual prayers people ask for each day,

We know it takes a lot of you time but everyone who is in need of prayer, for them now people can pray,

We thank you so very much for all your dedicated time,

You are wonderful to help others, your work is appreciated and very fine.

So on behalf of everyone whom you have helped

By sending your prayer- newsletter e-mail every day,

We thank you so very much, for you we also pray,

All your dedication and effort of helping your “sisters and brothers” each day too,

Is noted, for what you do to help others

is all appreciated , And God Bless you.

_________________________________________________________

 

Daily Hope

Today’s Scripture
Romans 4:1-25

A promise is a wonderful gift to receive especially when the one making the promise has the means to fulfill it. Parents often will guarantee something that later they regret as circumstance changes or perhaps the store is sold out of an item or some other unseen issue arises. Promises can be difficult to keep and even harder to explain why they are not kept. 

Paul had finished the previous chapter regarding the righteousness which God has given to all that believe Jesus and His word. This once for all action, called justification, was initiated by God alone. Paul uses two witnesses from the Old Testament to verify his argument and present evidence for justification. 

The apostle begins with a witness that was irrefutable in the eye of the Jews. Abraham was their “father” and as he was justified by faith than all others could be as well. Being uncircumcised, Abraham still received the promise of that right standing by faith not only for himself but for all who received (vv.16-18). Through belief alone in God, Abraham was declared righteous and God accounted this faith, not works, for righteousness. 

His next witness fit into the prophet category of the Old Testament as the greatest king in Israel history. David is presented as a witness by using his writings of Psalm 32 as a means of crediting righteousness apart from works. These two great figures in Israelite history give credit to God for receiving a standing based on faith which included no works. 

Whether it was Abraham’s or David’s statements, the fact remained for Paul that God promised He would bring justification to pass for all who He desired to receive this free gift. Paul states, “It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offense, and was raised because of our justification” (v.25).

We have a standing that is unmovable, a foundation unshakable because of what Jesus did through His redemption for us. Without Christ, we are sinners standing before a Holy Father without representation, guilty and hopeless. With Christ, we are standing before a Holy Father with a legal representative who presents us as no longer condemned and pardoned of all sin! Jesus keeps His promises and we can rejoice that we are forgiven and justified. (With an Expectant Hope, by Pastor Miller)

_________________________________________________________

Romans 6
We are to present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
INSIGHT

Micky Cohen, a noted gangster of a past generation, said that after he embraced Christianity, he felt betrayed. No one had explained that God would require a change in his behavior. “There are Christian athletes and Christian businessmen. Why not Christian gangsters?” he reasoned. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer free to continue living as we did in the world. Our affections and activities must change to reflect the God whom we serve. The term “Christian gangster” contradicts itself because the activities of a gangster generally oppose the character of Christ. (Quiet Walk)

____________________________________________________

FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER–FROM GOD’S SIDE

…and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3
There are always two sides to fellowship. We will now look at fellowship from God’s side. Paul said in writing to the Philippians, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (2:13). That is the way to have fellowship with God. You are aware of the surging of those holy desires, and you say to yourself, “It is God speaking to me; it is God saying something and calling forth a response in me.” “We love him, because he first loved us,” says John later on in 1 John [4:19], and God has fellowship with us in that way.
Not only that, He reveals His will to us. He shows us what He would have us to do. He leads us. He opens doors and shuts them; sometimes He puts up barriers and obstacles. You know what I am speaking about. It means that you are aware of the fact that you are in the hands of God, and that He is dealing with you, and that
as you go forward in this journey called life, God is there. Sometimes the door is shut, and you cannot understand it. You say, “I wanted to go there, but I cannot,” and then you say, “But God is with me, and He has shut the door.” Then suddenly you find the door opened, and you know it is the One who is walking with you who has suddenly opened it. That is having fellowship with God–knowing that He is there in these various ways in which He manipulates our lives and speaks to us and gives us wisdom and understanding. Every one of these things contains a danger; they all need to be carefully qualified, and yet they are essential to fellowship and communion.
Then He supplies us with strength according to our need and according to our situation.
A Thought to Ponder
Having fellowship with God means knowing that He is there.
            (From Fellowship with God, pp. 85-86, by, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

_______________________________________________________

For Thy Name’s Sake
“For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” (Psalm 31:3)
In this psalm of misery and mercy, we see David’s testimony. “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness” (Psalm 31:1). His faith was strong, but afflictions and opposition were on all sides. He appeals to God for relief (Psalm 31:2) and is confident of the reply and that that reply will reflect God’s omnipotence and grace. His total trust was in this benevolent God. “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth” (v. 5), which, of course, was quoted by Christ at the moment of His death on the cross (Luke 23:46).
But note David’s grounds for appeal to God for action: “For thy name’s sake,” as recorded in our text. David’s heartfelt desire here is more than merely relief from his persecution, as desperate as was that need, but for the glory of God and the honor of His name.
God’s name and reputation are at stake when His children are being persecuted. Indeed, the national leaders of Israel had frequently prayed for God to act on the same grounds (for example, see Exodus 32:12). Even in the New Testament we are encouraged to pray in that name: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).
Even though we are always warranted in using this plea in our praying, we must do so in recognition of and submission to the fact that there are limitations. God will never contradict His nature or His Word, and in His sovereignty He knows better solutions to each problem than we can ask for. His greater plans must always take precedence. But when these prerequisites are recognized and accepted, the prayer in His name and for His glory is the one that prevails. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)

__________________________________________________________

The Whatevers

Brothers and sisters, whatever . . . is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Every Friday evening, the national news my family views concludes the broadcast by highlighting an uplifting story. In contrast to the rest of the news, it’s always a breath of fresh air. A recent “good” Friday story focused on a reporter who had suffered from COVID-19, fully recovered, and then decided to donate plasma to possibly help others in their fight against the virus. At the time, the jury was still out on how effective antibodies would be. But when many of us felt helpless and even in light of the discomfort of donating plasma (via needle), she felt it “was a small price to pay for the potential payoff.”

After that Friday broadcast, my family and I felt encouraged—dare I say hope-filled. That’s the power of the “whatevers” Paul described in Philippians 4: “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable” (v. 8). Did Paul have in mind plasma donation? Of course not. But did he have in mind sacrificial actions on behalf of someone in need—in other words, Christlike behavior? I’ve no doubt the answer is yes.

But that hopeful news wouldn’t have had its full effect if it hadn’t been broadcast. It’s our privilege as witnesses to God’s goodness to look and listen for the “whatevers” all around us and then share that good news with others that they may be encouraged.  

By John Blasé  (Our Daily Bread)

________________________________________________________

We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.