Wed., 3/11/20 Devotion (Job 40:8b)

Today's encouragement comes from Job 40:8b, where we read these words:

" . . . Would you [Job] condemn Me [God] that you may be justified?"

Fallen sinners, outside of Christ, always do exactly what we read here (above). They "condemn" God in all kinds of ways, in order to seek to "justify” themselves—pretending that they are better than the Lord. Of course, God understood Job's heart, and the Lord knew, in reality, that Job really *did* find his justification in Christ, and not in himself. (See Job 19:25-27 as evidence of this.)

All of us regenerate churchmen should beware of the fact that whenever we are uncomfortable or inconvenienced—our temptation, just as it was with Job, is to "condemn" God, and "justify" ourselves. Let us rather see things as they really *are*, in Christ; and recognize that the Lord is *always* right, just, holy, gracious, merciful, and loving.

[Augustine quote of the day: “And in the universe, even that which is called evil, when it is regulated and put in its own place, only enhances our admira-tion for the good.” —from, “The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love”]