ICS Daily Devotions
Are You Tormented by Fear
Job 3:25-26 (NKJV) For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.”
Job echoed humanity’s greatest fear which is the loss of wealth and health. Job had been living in fear that all the good things in his life especially his children, his health and wealth would be taken away from him by God. It was his greatest fear and it had been tormenting him!
Job was very clear in his mind that all the blessings in his life were from God and he told his wife that God had blessed them with good things. However, Job offered sacrifices unto God very often out of his reverential fear of the holiness of God. Job probably only understood Phileo love which is a conditional love, and it means “I will love you if you love me”. Thus, he concluded that God would only bless him when he was good and punish him when he was not walking in line with Him. Of course, that’s what was required in the Mosaic covenant where blessings would come to them if they obeyed and walked in God’s ways, but curses would come upon them if they rebelled against God. Job was oblivious to the devil’s existence and thought that God was the cause of his tribulations. Hence, in the entire book of Job we read that the devil had caused all of them to blame God as the source of his suffering. Many Christians and unbelievers will be disillusioned about the love and even the existence of God if we are unaware that it is the work of the devil to kill, steal and destroy. We will blame God, be bitter against Him even to the extent of denying our faith! Job’s wife was furious with God! There are many Christians who have an issue with God because of the wrong perception of Him.
Many will be misinformed during a period of deep suffering if we are fearful of talking about the work and schemes of the devil. During this pandemic and economic crisis, many are fearful of stepping out the front door or losing their wealth. These are tormenting thoughts unless we are strong believers of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
This was a pivotal and watershed moment at the Cross and after the resurrection of Jesus. God showed us what is unconditional love or Agape love because Jesus came to declare GOD to us through His life, ministry and death. The Scripture above reveals to us that Christ died for us while we were YET sinners, imperfect and ungodly. Job only knew about God through oral tradition. Job lived in fear and torment. However, we have the Bible and through its progressive revelation, has given us a clearer perspective of God. God showed us His love while we were ungodly and will continue to love us unconditionally after we are saved. Despite our shortcomings, we are hidden in Christ and once we have this positional truth embedded in our hearts and know how God looks at us, it will cast out all fear. We can have faith in God instead of being fearful that sicknesses and pain are ways God uses to punish or discipline us. We do not have to live in fear nor be tormented by it.
Sermon Series: Job and I
