Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Job+029

CHAPTER 29 (ESV)

1 And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

2 “Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
as in the days when God watched over me,
3 when his lamp shone upon my head,
and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 as I was in my prime,
when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
5 when the Almighty was yet with me,
when my children were all around me,…

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe and a turban…

21 “Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel…

25 I chose their way and sat as chief,
and I lived like a king among his troops,
like one who comforts mourners.

REFLECTION:

In Chapter 29, Job answers his friends’ accusations by boasting about his past achievements and recalling his past good deeds. Although Job showed that it was all due to God’s protection, he was mainly boasting of his achievements. He was not far from pride. This was very dangerous. When we succeed, it is particularly easy to fall into the trap of pride. Pride makes us think we are better than we really are, which separates us from God. Immediately following our pride is the tendency to blindly believe in our point of view and take God’s glory for ourselves, which leads to another series of sins. It is not wrong to list past achievements, but it is best to count God’s blessings for us. This will help us avoid falling into pride and have a grateful heart to face all encounters in life.

PRAYER:

God, Your words remind me that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. When I think of myself as better than I actually am, I am taking away Your glory, and my relationship with You becomes more distant. I ask for Your help to count the blessings You have given me more often, so I can avoid falling into pride. Grant me a grateful heart to face all the situations in life.

HYMN:

The Wonderful Cross – www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC1IllbwX4w