Devotional thought from January 13th.
1I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
24If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
25If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
26If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
27And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
29If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. Job 31
What a wonderful chapter to exemplify the integrity of Job. What would the social and religious landscape of America look if we had more men of this calibre. Integrity is defined as adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. In Job’s case and I pray in my case it will be more than moral soundness but true Biblical conviction that dictates my life.
The first verse we see Job’s covenant with his eyes. This is so much more than a “resolution’. Job shows a true understanding of how all matters of sin our a matter of the heart. He fights and wins the battle on the “be” level. Then we have a series of verses that start with “If I”. Job was not ignorant of Satan’s devices. He knew the temptation and was able to connect them to the proper truth. In verse 24 he says he does not trust in gold as his hope he knows God is his confidence.
In being a person of integrity and wanting to train an army of young men to be men of integrity I must be able to identify the “if i be’s” and be able to rightly connect them to God’s truth. If I be insecure then I am not understanding who I am in Christ. If I be tempted to steal then I have already given in to the temptation of not trusting in God’s provision.
