David revealed a constant tension between himself and those whose values were not Godly. To appropriately deal with his foes, he resorted to prayer. He found his refuge through this place of solace and purpose, the Lord’s presence. To maintain ability to cope with this tension, he developed a daily habit of spending quality time with the Lord. There, the Lord would not only provide the victory over his enemies, but would constantly adjust David’s heart to lead with integrity.

Leaders who want to please the Lord must cultivate a consistent, vital devotional life.

PRAYER: Lord, Whom have I in heaven but You, and there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. You alone are my place of comfort and security from the enemies of Your Kingdom.

READING: Psalms 16-18

The eyes of God watch everything. They roam to and fro throughout the earth. They remain upon the righteous. He sees all and rewards man according to what he has done.

Nothing is hidden from Him. Men think they are sinning in secret, but God sees it and will deal with it. Every deed of righteousness will be rewarded, and every generous gift to those in need will receive God’s reward.

His Kingdom fills the earth, but is hidden from open view.

PRAYER: Lord, there is no god like You. You alone see our every move. To honor you in every deed, every word, and every motive of our heart is our desire.

READING: Psalm 10-15

David frequently referred to his enemies in the Psalms. It was not as if he was paranoid, but rather triumphant over them. He was always faithful to call upon the Lord for protection and deliverance rather than taking matters into his own hands.

Paul said, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of (enemy) strongholds.” He also said, “Thanks be to God Who ALWAYS causes us to triumph through Christ Jesus.”

Our warfare is through our prayer, our praise, our trust, and our obedience to the Lord’s Word.

PRAYER: Lord, You are our refuge and fortress. We call upon Your name when we have struggles. We are grateful that You have already given us victory.

READING: Psalm 1-9

After God finally showed up and brought correction to the error the comforters had interjected, He required them to prepare an offering and ask Job to pray for them.  He had maintained an integrity before the Lord as he tried to understand the trial he was enduring. At the conclusion of the trial, in the Lord’s timing, Job was rewarded with twice as much blessing as his former life.

Those who endure suffering in this life can rest assured that God sees all, and will appropriately reward them for their pain. He uses pain, but ultimately wants to bring healing and blessing. In Christ,we have HOPE.

PRAYER: Father, we will endure the trials and challenges of this life because we know that You will reward us, You will redeem us, and You will heal us. Blessed be Your Holy Name, Jesus.

READING: Job 41,42

As if He had had enough of the banter between Job and his comforters, God makes His entrance. With riveting Authority He convincingly declares many insights into the world around them to set the stage for His conclusive verdict about Job’s trial.

We are wise to set our hearts in prayer to hear God’s voice in every challenge life presents to us. His instructions are life and health. His counsel is the ultimate medicine. In His Word are the keys to eternal life.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, Thine is the Kingdom and the glory. We humble ourselves UNDER Your mighty hand. Grant us grace to arise in health and obedience. 

READING: Job  36-40

Job displayed a noble desire and accountability to do what was right. He declared, “If I have … (committed many categories of sin, then let me suffer penalty results).” Such was further evidence that God had indeed focused on an exemplary man.

However, as the NT scripture says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Whether we commit one sin only, or a gazillion sins, we MUST experience the washing of the blood of Jesus to be faultless in God’s sight. We needed as Saviour.

PRAYER: Lord, apart from the blood of Jesus, there is no cleansing from sin. Precious is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.

READING: Job 31-35

Job adds his name to the list of Bible authors who attempt to define wisdom … “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” David and Solomon both add, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

The fear of the Lord is most efficiently taught in the home. Children who are raised by Godly parents learn from an early age to reverentially fear God. They are spared the painful process of learning it by suffering from unwise choices in life.

PRAYER: Lord, give us the inspiration and perseverance to capably teach and model the reverential fear of the Lord in our homes.  You alone are to be worshipped and feared.

READING: Job 25-29

Surely most of the information presented by Job’s accusers can be labeled false news. Yet, Job persists in maintaining his innocence and inviting the Lord Himself to answer him. He had lived a life committed to doing what was right.  He could somewhat rest in his position of good behavior.

David said, “I have walked in my integrity, so therefore my steps shall not slide.” He too lived in confidence before the Lord.

PRAYER: Lord, keep us close to the cross and the truth in spite of all the accusations around us. 

READING: Job 20-24

Job, even though he was suffering, declared that in his flesh, he would see God. He said, “I know that My Redeemer lives.” Again, in spite of the suffering he described, he has a revelation of the ending that all saints are entitled to … to behold their Redeemer in all His resurrection glory.

This becomes the one great desire of those who are ready to meet their maker at the conclusion of their life. All else pales in importance to the chance to see the Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, my eyes are fixed upon You. There is none other that I seek.

READING: Job 15-19

As Job defended himself to his accusers/comforters, he made a profound statement … “Though He slay me, yet will  I trust in Him.” He realized that he was in a period of suffering with no real answers and reasons from God.

God teaches us through suffering. The Bible says, “Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he learned obedience by what he suffered.” [Heb. 5:8]

We have the promise that God will not lay on us more than we can bear, but will ultimately make a way to escape. He will always prove to be our Healer.

PRAYER: Lord, to whom do we turn when we are afflicted? You are the Great Physician. Help us to glean and learn as we patiently endure the hardships of this life. We do trust that all things are working together for our good, because You are Good and You love us.

READING: Job 10-14