Songs for today: 
Free From Guilt and Free From Sin
Good Good Father

Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;
And let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.
from Psalm 35

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
from Galatians 1

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
from Galatians 2

does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
•••
the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
from Galatians 3

when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
from Galatians 4

walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
from Galatians 5

if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.
•••
may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
from Galatians 6

Songs for today: 
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
We Have This Moment Today

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
•••
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
•••
Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
•••
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
from Psalm 34

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
“Who is this that darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
“Now gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
“On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
“Or who enclosed the sea with doors
When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;
When I made a cloud its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,
And I placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;
And here shall your proud waves stop’?
from Job 38

Will the wild ox consent to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your manger?
“Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes,
Or will he harrow the valleys after you?
“Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?
“Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?
•••
Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
“Do you make him leap like the locust?
His majestic snorting is terrible.
“He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He goes out to meet the weapons.
“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
“The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
“With shaking and rage he races over the ground,
And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.
“As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.
from Job 39

Then the Lord said to Job,
“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who reproves God answer it.”
Then Job answered the Lord and said,
“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
“Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;
Even twice, and I will add nothing more.”
•••
Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm and said,
“Now gird up your loins like a man;
I will ask you, and you instruct Me.
“Will you really annul My judgment?
Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?
“Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you thunder with a voice like His?
“Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity,
And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.
“Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low.
“Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him,
And tread down the wicked where they stand.
“Hide them in the dust together;
Bind them in the hidden place.
“Then I will also confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.
from Job 40

Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
“Can you put a rope in his nose
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
“Will he make many supplications to you,
Or will he speak to you soft words?
“Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him for a servant forever?
“Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you bind him for your maidens?
“Will the traders bargain over him?
Will they divide him among the merchants?
Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
“Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle; you will not do it again!
•••
Who has given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.
from Job 41

Then Job answered the Lord and said,
“I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct me.’
“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You;
Therefore I retract,
And I repent in dust and ashes.”
•••
after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”
•••
The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning;
•••
After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. And Job died, an old man and full of days.
from Job 42

Songs for today: 
Worthy Is The Lamb
Jesus Will Still Be There

Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.
•••
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
•••
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.
The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
•••
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.
from Psalm 33

Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned because he justified himself before God. And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were years older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men his anger burned.
•••
Do not say,
‘We have found wisdom;
God will rout him, not man.’
“For he has not arranged his words against me,
Nor will I reply to him with your arguments.
“They are dismayed, they no longer answer;
Words have failed them.
“Shall I wait, because they do not speak,
Because they stop and no longer answer?
“I too will answer my share,
I also will tell my opinion.
“For I am full of words;
The spirit within me constrains me.
“Behold, my belly is like unvented wine,
Like new wineskins it is about to burst.
“Let me speak that I may get relief;
Let me open my lips and answer.
“Let me now be partial to no one,
Nor flatter any man.
“For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me away.
from Job 32

Job, please hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
•••
Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words:
‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.
‘Behold, He invents pretexts against me;
He counts me as His enemy.
‘He puts my feet in the stocks;
He watches all my paths.’
“Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this,
For God is greater than man.
“Why do you complain against Him
That He does not give an account of all His doings?
“Indeed God speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one notices it.
•••
He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit,
And my life shall see the light.’
“Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men,
To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
from Job 33

Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;
Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
“What man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water,
Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
“For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
When he is pleased with God.’
“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
“For He pays a man according to his work,
And makes him find it according to his way.
“Surely, God will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
•••
Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
‘Job ought to be tried to the limit,
Because he answers like wicked men.
‘For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”
from Job 34

Elihu continued and said,
“Do you think this is according to justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
“For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
•••
“If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?
“If you are righteous, what do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
“Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And your righteousness is for a son of man.
•••
Surely God will not listen to an empty cry,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
“How much less when you say you do not behold Him,
The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
“And now, because He has not visited in His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged transgression well,
So Job opens his mouth emptily;
He multiplies words without knowledge.”
from Job 35

I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
“For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
“Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;
He is mighty in strength of understanding.
•••
Beware that wrath does not entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
•••
Be careful, do not turn to evil,
For you have preferred this to affliction.
“Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a teacher like Him?
“Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?
“Remember that you should exalt His work,
Of which men have sung.
“All men have seen it;
Man beholds from afar.
“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.
from Job 36

At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
“Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
“Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
“After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.
“God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
•••
Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
“Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?
“Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,
You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
“Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
“Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
“Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?
•••
The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.
“Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”
from Job 37

Songs for today: 
Ever be
‘Til The Storm Passes By

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.
Selah.
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.
Selah.
Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah.
•••
he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
from Psalm 32

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,
“Dominion and awe belong to Him
Who establishes peace in His heights.
“Is there any number to His troops?
And upon whom does His light not rise?
“How then can a man be just with God?
Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?
“If even the moon has no brightness
And the stars are not pure in His sight,
How much less man, that maggot,
And the son of man, that worm!”
from Job 25

Job responded,
“What a help you are to the weak!
How you have saved the arm without strength!
“What counsel you have given to one without wisdom!
What helpful insight you have abundantly provided!
“To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit was expressed through you?
•••
these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”
from Job 26

Job continued his discourse and said,
“As God lives, who has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,
For as long as life is in me,
And the breath of God is in my nostrils,
My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.
“Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
“I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not reproach any of my days.
from Job 27

where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
“Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
•••
Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?
“Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living
And concealed from the birds of the sky.
•••
God understands its way,
And He knows its place.
“For He looks to the ends of the earth
And sees everything under the heavens.
•••
He saw it and declared it;
He established it and also searched it out.
“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.’”
from Job 28

Job again took up his discourse and said,
“Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God watched over me;
When His lamp shone over my head,
And by His light I walked through darkness;
As I was in the prime of my days,
When the friendship of God was over my tent;
When the Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were around me;
from Job 29

now those younger than I mock me,
Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.
•••
Fools, even those without a name,
They were scourged from the land.
“And now I have become their taunt,
I have even become a byword to them.
“They abhor me and stand aloof from me,
And they do not refrain from spitting at my face.
“Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off the bridle before me.
“On the right hand their brood arises;
They thrust aside my feet and build up against me their ways of de
•••
now my soul is poured out within me;
Days of affliction have seized me.
“At night it pierces my bones within me,
And my gnawing pains take no rest.
“By a great force my garment is distorted;
It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
“He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.
“I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.
“You have become cruel to me;
With the might of Your hand You persecute me.
“You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride;
And You dissolve me in a storm.
“For I know that You will bring me to death
And to the house of meeting for all living.
“Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand,
Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help?
•••
my harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the sound of those who weep.
from Job 30

“Oh that I had one to hear me!
Behold, here is my signature;
Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my adversary has written,
Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
I would bind it to myself like a crown.
“I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.
“If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
If I have eaten its fruit without money,
Or have caused its owners to lose their lives,
Let briars grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Elihu in Anger Rebukes Job
from Job 31

Songs for today: 
Jesus is all I Need
At Your Feet

In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness deliver me.
Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.
•••
as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;
Save me in Your lovingkindness.
Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon You;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
Let the lying lips be mute,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.
How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
•••
O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the Lord.
from Psalm 31

Zophar the Naamathite answered,
“Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond,
Even because of my inward agitation.
“I listened to the reproof which insults me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
“Do you know this from of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,
That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless momentary?
from Job 20

Then Job answered,
“Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.
“Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may mock.
“As for me, is my complaint to man?
And why should I not be impatient?
“Look at me, and be astonished,
And put your hand over your mouth.
“Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And horror takes hold of my flesh.
“Why do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very powerful?
“Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
Their houses are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.
•••
the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity;
They will be led forth at the day of fury.
•••
How then will you vainly comfort me,
For your answers remain full of falsehood?”
from Job 21

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,
“Can a vigorous man be of use to God,
Or a wise man be useful to himself?
“Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
“Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you,
That He enters into judgment against you?
“Is not your wickedness great,
And your iniquities without end?
•••
Yield now and be at peace with Him;
Thereby good will come to you.
“Please receive instruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart.
“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,
from Job 22

Then Job replied,
“Even today my complaint is rebellion;
His hand is heavy despite my groaning.
“Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
“I would present my case before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
“I would learn the words which He would answer,
And perceive what He would say to me.
•••
But He knows the way I take;
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
“My foot has held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
“I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
“But He is unique and who can turn Him?
And what His soul desires, that He does.
“For He performs what is appointed for me,
And many such decrees are with Him.
“Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence;
When I consider, I am terrified of Him.
“It is God who has made my heart faint,
And the Almighty who has dismayed me,
from Job 23

From the city men groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry out;
Yet God does not pay attention to folly.
from Job 25

Songs for today: 
Wherever He Leads I’ll Go
I Have A Shelter

Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
•••
“Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be my helper.”
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
from Psalm 30

Eliphaz the Temanite responded,
“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge
And fill himself with the east wind?
“Should he argue with useless talk,
Or with words which are not profitable?
“Indeed, you do away with reverence
And hinder meditation before God.
“For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose the language of the crafty.
“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify against you.
from Job 15

Then Job answered,
“I have heard many such things;
Sorry comforters are you all.
“Is there no limit to windy words?
Or what plagues you that you answer?
•••
“He breaks through me with breach after breach;
He runs at me like a warrior.
“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin
And thrust my horn in the dust.
“My face is flushed from weeping,
And deep darkness is on my eyelids,
Although there is no violence in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.
•••
“Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
And my advocate is on high.
“My friends are my scoffers;
My eye weeps to God.
“O that a man might plead with God
As a man with his neighbor!
“For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way of no return.
from Job 16

Where now is my hope?
And who regards my hope?
“Will it go down with me to Sheol?
Shall we together go down into the dust?”
from Job 17

Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,
“How long will you hunt for words?
Show understanding and then we can talk.
•••
Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out,
And the flame of his fire gives no light.
“The light in his tent is darkened,
And his lamp goes out above him.
•••
“Those in the west are appalled at his fate,
And those in the east are seized with horror.
“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who does not know God.”
from Job 18

Then Job responded,
“How long will you torment me
And crush me with words?
“These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me.
“Even if I have truly erred,
My error lodges with me.
“If indeed you vaunt yourselves against me
And prove my disgrace to me,
Know then that God has wronged me
And has closed His net around me.
•••
“Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me.
“Why do you persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?
•••
“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
“Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
from Job 19

Songs for today: 
My Hope Is in the Lord
My Hope Is in the Lord
Find You Here

Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in holy array.
•••
in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
from Psalm 29

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,
“How long will you say these things,
And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
“Does God pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?
“If your sons sinned against Him,
Then He delivered them into the power of their transgression.
“If you would seek God
And implore the compassion of the Almighty,
If you are pure and upright,
Surely now He would rouse Himself for you
And restore your righteous estate.
•••
“Lo, God will not reject a man of integrity,
Nor will He support the evildoers.
“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
And your lips with shouting.
“Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the tent of the wicked will be no longer.”
from Job 8

Then Job answered,
“In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?
“If one wished to dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
“Wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has defied Him without harm?
•••
“Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
“Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
“God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.
“How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?
“For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.
•••
“If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
“Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
“I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
•••
“For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.
“There is no umpire between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
from Job 9

According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand.
‘Your hands fashioned and made me altogether,
And would You destroy me?
‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay;
And would You turn me into dust again?
‘Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese;
Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has preserved my spirit.
‘Yet these things You have concealed in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
from Job 10

“If you would direct your heart right
And spread out your hand to Him,
If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
“Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and not fear.
“For you would forget your trouble,
As waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
“Your life would be brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
“Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would look around and rest securely.
“You would lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would entreat your favor.
“But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And there will be no escape for them;
And their hope is to breathe their last.”
from Job 11

Then Job responded,
“Truly then you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
“But I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And who does not know such things as these?
“I am a joke to my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and blameless man is a joke.
•••
“He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people
And makes them wander in a pathless waste.
“They grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
from Job 12

“Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
“What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
“But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.
“But you smear with lies;
You are all worthless physicians.
“O that you would be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
•••
“He will surely reprove you
If you secretly show partiality.
“Will not His majesty terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?
“Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
•••
“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.
from Job 13

“Man, who is born of woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
“Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
“You also open Your eyes on him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
“Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.
•••
“If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my struggle I will wait
Until my change comes.
“You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for the work of Your hands.
“For now You number my steps,
You do not observe my sin.
“My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You wrap up my iniquity.
from Job 14

Songs for today: 
Like a River Glorious
The Cross Has The Final Word

Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
The Lord is their strength,
And He is a saving defense to His anointed.
Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;
Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.
from Psalm 28

there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
•••
Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
from Job 1

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
from Job 2

Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
•••
my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And my cries pour out like water.
“For what I fear comes upon me,
And what I dread befalls me.
“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”
from Job 3

Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
•••
Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
•••
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
‘Can mankind be just before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
‘He puts no trust even in His servants;
And against His angels He charges error.
from Job 4

Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
“For He inflicts pain, and gives relief;
He wounds, and His hands also heal.
•••
You will know that your tent is secure,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.
“You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.
“You will come to the grave in full vigor,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
“Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
from Job 5

Then Job answered,
•••
the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
Their poison my spirit drinks;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.
•••
Oh that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my longing!
“Would that God were willing to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
“But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
•••
For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.
•••
How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
“Do you intend to reprove my words,
When the words of one in despair belong to the wind?
from Job 6

I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
•••
What is man that You magnify him,
And that You are concerned about him,
That You examine him every morning
And try him every moment?
“ Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
“Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be.”
from Job 7

Songs for today: 
Whom Shall I Fear
Jesus I Am Resting, Resting

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
•••
Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.
One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
•••
When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
•••
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path
Because of my foes.
Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,
•••
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
from Psalm 27

I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.
•••
what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
from 2Corinthians 11

on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.
•••
to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
•••
I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
•••
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.
from 2Corinthians 12

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
•••
Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
from 2Corinthians 13

Songs for today: 
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
When I Get Carried Away

I will not sit with the wicked.
I shall wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving
And declare all Your wonders.
O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house
And the place where Your glory dwells.
•••
as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
My foot stands on a level place;
In the congregations I shall bless the Lord.
from Psalm 26

you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
from 2Corinthians 8

he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
•••
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
from 2Corinthians 9

though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
•••
he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.
from 2Corinthians 10