December Devotions

14 Dec 2017

Shall we not receive evil?

Job 2:10 But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Many of us, we are elated when God answers our prayers in a way we expect them to be answered but are crestfallen when we have to go through sickness or suffering. Here in today's verse Job is questioning back his wife, actually answering her saying that we not only should receive blessings from God but also should receive sufferings. If we see the context of the verse Job was a blameless, upright and God fearing man. God allowed satan to test him to prove that his servant is indeed a blameless and upright one. So as a part of testing when satan took away all his property and children, Job still worshiped God and did not charge God with wrong. Later satan even got permission from God to afflict Job with loathsome sores from head to foot and because of that Job sat in ashes and scraped himself with a piece of pottery. Seeing his misery his wife told him to curse God and die Job 1 and 2. To that Job answered with a question, Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil? Job chose to praise God even in his trials and sickness and suffering.

Today the Lord is posing the same question to us through this verse. I do not know about you but I have a hard time accepting some of the things God allows into my life. Especially when God gives a promise to me I start expecting the answer for that promise in a certain way and at certain time. And when that does not happen I become sad, depressed and angry with God. But God in His abundant mercy reminds me gently of Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Yes dear ones, God has a purpose and plan for our life even when it seems like there isn't one. When we surrender our lives to Him in obedience He will bring them to pass. But the process of fulfilling His purpose is not a path of roses but is a path of roses and thorns both. Along the way, He surprises us with unexpected blessings and prunes us with unwanted sufferings. But through it all He works all things together for our good Romans 8:28. If you are going through a season of joy praise Him for your blessings and for His favor upon you. If you are going through a season of sickness or suffering praise Him for He shall turn it to your good. He builds endurance and character into us through pain and suffering Romans 5:3,4. So we need to praise Him all the more during a season of suffering.

Remember the ultimate purpose of Christmas is the Cross and there won't be any Cross without Christmas.No season without reason and no reason without season.

Have a blessed Christmas season 🌟🎄🎁