The Devotional
Comment:
There was a day when setting in the wardroom among a panel
of Naval Officers I was being observed for an officer program. If I passed the
questioning of these men I would have qualified for Officer Candidate School.
One of the questions that broke the camel’s back was, “does your wife know that
she will be required to host or has she the ability to host evenings when the
officers and wives of your outfit or ship have get to gathers in your home”? Now
I may not have the exact wording used by those men, the question was directed
at her being hospitable in a social setting. I thought to myself; “whose under
the microscope here?” so in my mind I made a quick contract with myself, that I
would not place my wife in a position where she would be uncomfortable because
of decisions about my Navy Career. I said to the men “Thank you for the
opportunity to present my desire for a career change for your review, I withdraw
my original request for the Officer Candidate School and will remain Enlisted” and
with permission of the OIC I walked out.
Challenge:
Job 27-31
Oaths, contracts
and covenants are made by mankind with mankind all the day long, some of these
are on the spot while others begin early in life. Not all oaths or covenants
are visible or witnessed by others yet in either case we seek diligently to do
our part. I wonder though when it comes to self-governed covenants? Notice what
Job says in verse one of Chapter 31. I made a covenant with my eyes, not to
look lustfully at a girl. Wow Job! What wisdom and discipline Job demonstrates and
you know as I do that this covenant is no small thing, is it men?
Standing alone
this covenant means strong integrity in the face of one’s heart or the control
of one’s mind. The eyes will tell both your heart and mind that there is
opportunity. Yet and you know this as I do, the mind will comfort the heart and
the heart will explain to the eyes that it is okay to look, the girl is not so
pretty so go ahead, check her out. Reasoning in the mind is the fleshly
opportunity to break one’s oath. If a man breaks his own covenant it is sin for
him and God brings His own discipline concerning sin. Job says that God sees
our every move and even counts our steps.
Think with me just
a moment; if you know that Ms. Beauty lives one block over from your pathway
home from work and you make that slight detour to catch a glimpse, does not God
know your steps. He has the steps counted before you start on your journey. And
what about the neighborhood where you and other men live, have they not seen
the beauty of your wife. Maybe they have done the very same crooked walk as
you. For the young and the old I say, do not open the eye-gate for the devil to
walk in and destroy your home. For it is a shame to stand in judgment before
God concerning this sin.
The 31st
Chapter of Job gives personal insight to everyone who reads and STUDIES this
book. Job’s three friends contending with Job’s spiritual integrity and discipline.
In this I find myself asking this question, “in the events of Job’s life can I find
such a parallel in my own walk with the LORD?” If I say yes; I must be a man of
integrity, like that of Job. If I answer no, than I am very much like Job’s
three friends, full of human good and religion. Most of us are no doubt,
unwilling to answer the question.
Job’s friends
after this discourse of Job will not speak to him anymore, but they have not
changed their thoughts regarding him or their theology. They seem to regard Job
as a self-righteous person; note Job 32:1, at least this is how I perceive that
verse. This is where we will meet Elihu, he has been silent and the book does
not reveal when he showed up but he did hear all that has transpired to this
point. Note Job 32:12, yet he too is not on Job’s side in the matter of Job’s
integrity. Even Job himself is confused as to why all of this is happening to
him, we know because the LORD allowed us to see Job chapter 1 and 2. What if
those chapters were missing, where would our thoughts be?
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