Trust in God’s grace more than your best effort!

8/23/2019

He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him. Job 13:16 NKJV

Job scolds his friends for claiming to represent God. Job makes a profession of His faith in God.

Who can rightfully represent God? What does it mean to be a hypocrite? Who determines if a person is a hypocrite?

Later in this book God will be angry with Job’s friends. He tells Job to pray for them. God forgives their sin. He tells Job to pray for them because Job was called to represent the Lord. People who hear God’s voice and respond in faith represent Jesus today!

Job’s friends were not representing God when they condemned and accused him. They were not speaking God’s word. They were speaking from the flesh. They were denying the grace of God by putting more faith in human effort than God’s goodness!

In chapter 13 verse 15 Job says, Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.

It is impossible to be a hypocrite when we trust God even though He seems to be punishing us. We all make choices and mistakes that appear to contradict our faith. That is when our faith in the grace of God must be stronger than our faith in human effort!

God called David a man after His own heart. It is not because David never made choices that contradicted his faith in God. It is not because he never made mistakes that contradicted his faith. It is because David put more trust in God than his own effort.

David knew God loved him. When David sinned he bowed his heart before the Lord in repentance. When God rebuked David he accepted the justness of God’s judgment.

David loved God. He professed his faith in ways that encourage us. It is far too easy for us to read about David’s mistakes sins and failures and call him a hypocrite. God didn’t!

How is it possible for us to trust God even if He decided to slay us? The grave cannot hold us. Heaven awaits us. We will be raised up incorruptible Just as Jesus was!

The Apostle Paul said to live is Christ and to die is gain. Death will come for all of us. It may involve pain and suffering. It will lead us into eternal bliss in the presence of a loving God!

Make a profession of your faith in Jesus that will encourage other people. Represent the Lord by sharing His Word with people. Trust God in ways that make it impossible for you to be a hypocrite.

Trust in God’s grace more than your best effort!

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Louie Garcia

Joyfor2day daily devotional goes out over the internet to thousands of people all over the world five days a week

Jesus can use you to shake the foundations of the prison and set people free!

Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour. Acts 16:16-18 NKJV

The slave girl was speaking the truth. She was possessed by an evil spirit. The evil spirit was drawing people away from Christ!

This attack came as God’s servants went to prayer. The enemy of our souls attacks when we step out in faith. Satan seeks to distract us. He wants us to focus our attention on things other than Jesus.

The devil perverts the truth. He uses it against us. No one can serve two masters. This girl was speaking the truth about Paul and his companions while practicing witchcraft. When people claim to speak for God we must consider how they live.

The girl followed the disciples for several days before they cast the demon out of her. It is important for us to wait on the Lord before stepping out in faith. The bible tells us Paul was greatly annoyed by this girl. Paul was not fearful. The Lord was with Him!

Paul and Silas were put in jail. The owners of the slave girl were angry at the loss of income when the demon was cast out of her. While Paul and Silas were in jail they shared the gospel with the jailer. His entire household was saved.

God uses Satan’s attacks for His glory and our salvation!

Satan is a real being. He takes people captive to do his will. There really are demons who seek to destroy God’s people and bring destruction to our world.

We have nothing to fear from the devil or his demons when we live according to God’s will. We have nothing to fear from anyone or anything when we step out in faith to serve Jesus!

Jesus wants us to fear Him and Him alone. He wants us to know His power and authority are unequaled in all of creation.

God wants you share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people in your life. Jesus wants you to walk in great boldness because He is with you everywhere you go!

Jesus can use you to shake the foundations of the prison and set people free!

Trust in God’s grace more than your best effort!

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Louie Garcia

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