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Job 42 (NIV)
42 Then Job replied to the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Epilogue
7 After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. 10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
1. For each day, read the text and write down one or two points that stand out to you.
2. At the end of the week, look and pray over your points, and pick one that stands out to you.
3. What will you do to apply that point/truth to your life? Write that out also.
4. Store your notes and application somewhere where you will find them again and see how you are doing in your application of that truth. Note on your calendar when you’ll check it.
Forgive me for my pride, Lord. Sometimes I think I have all the answers. I have opinions on how things should be, how people should respond and how to improve on situations. I may have developed great plans but if they are based on my will and not Yours, on my opinion and not Yours, on my timeline and not Yours, then they are mine and not Yours. Sometimes other people have their own plans and opinions that run counter to mine. They can hurt me, let me down, wrongly accuse me, judge me and criticize me and my plans. Digging my heels in to defend myself or positions often results in shifting me and my friends further away from You and Your plan. Help me to be humble and submit to Your plans for my life. Help me to forgive those who not only disagree with me but try to hurt me because of my opinions. You do not give us trouble-free lives. You do not answer all of my questions. But You do reassure me that You are with me in my troubles. Help me to be faithful in submitting to your plan for my life, in using my talents for your glory, in praying for others even when they are hurtful and to persevere until Satan is defeated once and for all. Amen.