2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Job 17-19 GW; Psalms 102 GW
Stick to your ways.
Seventeen chapters into Job’s saga, and he’s still debating his circumstances with his friends. Only halfway through the book, God doesn’t start talking for another 21 chapters. This means Job is defending his faith to his friends for a very long time. Clean hands grow stronger, but the journey isn’t without its problems.
“Now my eyes are blurred from grief. Now all my limbs are like a shadow.” (Job 17:7 NIV)
Standing strong in the midst of adversity requires perseverance. When the world crashes around you, the best thing to do is wait. Don’t try to make sense of things you were never meant to understand. Like Job, keep your eyes on God. Let Him restore calm to your chaos. Stick to what you know.
God’s consistency stands the test of time. He is present in times of trouble as well as when you rejoice. Understanding God is something our human brain can’t do, but we can trust even if we don’t know.
Develop discipline.
Job clung to God because of his discipline. Remember the beginning of Job’s story:
“In the land of Uz, there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” (Job 1:1 NIV)
Job didn’t start following God in the middle of the crisis; he began long before trouble hit. Developing a spiritual discipline means making time for God in your daily life. Whether you spend five minutes or five hours, any time you give God is better than none at all. Then, when the storms of life happen, you already have a firm foundation in the Big Guy. In the midst of your grief, like Job, you will find God.
Cleanse and repeat. Just like bathing, we must clean our spiritual souls often. Developing a spiritual discipline will strengthen you. When the storms hit, you will withstand the gale winds. You can stand strong before the Lord, knowing He is the One who controls the storm.
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Lord, thank You for keeping us clean. Forgive us for not making time with You a priority in our lives. Help us today start again. As we come before You, cleanse us from within as You fill us with Your Spirit. Let us stand firm in the face of adversity as we keep our eyes on You. IJNIP. Amen
Question for reflection
What can you do today to develop spiritual discipline?
