A Righteous Life

Job 31:1-40 

I do not know how long Job suffered before God answered him and blessed him again.  In the meanwhile, Job’s days groaned with unceasing tears as he grieved over the loss of his 10 children (Job 29:2-6), all his servants, all his wealth and property, the loss of his health (Job 30:16-17, 30), the loss of his dignity and respect in his community (Job 29:7-25,30:1-15).  He felt he lost hope and favor with God (Job 30:20-23).  Yet through all of this, Job never doubted his righteous life before God.  He made a very clear and detailed examination of his life:

Job 31:

v 5- “If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit—

v 7- “if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled,

v 9- “if my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

v 13- “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me,

v 16- “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

v 17- “if I have kept bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless—

v 19- “if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments,

v 21- “if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court,

v 24-  “If I have put my trust in gold and said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’

v 25- “if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained,

v 26-27- “if I have regarded the sun in its radiance and the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

v 29- “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him—

v 31-  “if those of my household have never said, ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?—

v 32-  “if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart

v 38-  “if my hand cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears,

v 39-  “if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,

Job did not commit any of these sins.  If he did, he quickly took care of it before God.  Suffering as Job did, most of us would question how we lived our lives before God and if God was punishing us for some sin we had done.  But Job lived a righteous and exemplary life, and no one in his community could question that. 

How about my life?  Is my life without fault before God and people?  Have I settled my accounts with everyone?  Lord God, examine my life and my heart for any wrongs I need to clear up and ask for forgiveness.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.