Job 41 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Job 41.  The LORD is speaking.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/job/41/1/s_477001

Meditate on verse 1.

 

Can you draw out Leviathan with

a fishhook? Or press down his

tongue with a cord?

 

What is your Leviathan?  What is the trial, the persecution, the burden you battle?  The LORD asks Job 16 questions about his Leviathan, this monster causing him so much pain and trouble.  God asks Job what he can do about Leviathan.  And the answer is, nothing; Job is not capable of fighting Leviathan; only God can fight him.  And so, we get to the heart of Job; the purpose of the trials is to bring us to the place of acknowledging we are not God, and we are powerless to fight Leviathan waging war against us.  Only God can deal with the terror, pride, and fear consuming us (vs. 14, 15, 25).  Allow what God has allowed in your life to work its purpose, giving up your pride and the control to Him.  Relief comes with surrender to the Almighty.

 

Pray Job 41:8-10 and 34 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, I lay my hand one more time on this

 Leviathan in order to hand him to You.

I will remember the battle because I do not want

to do it again.  Behold, my expectation has been false,

and I was laid low at the sight of Leviathan.

There is no one fierce enough who dares to arouse him,

so I give him to You because no one can stand

before You, God.  Remove Leviathan from __________ and

me, for he is king over all the sons of pride.

Do not let him be king any longer over us.

In Your name, King Jesus~”

 

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Job 40 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Job 40.  The LORD and Job are talking.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/job/40/1/s_476001

Meditate on verses 1-5.

 

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."

 

Accused by God of being a reproving faultfinder, Job realizes he has said enough, and it is time to stop talking.  God’s few, well-placed words brought immediate humility to this man; whereas, his friends’ multiple attempts to heap conviction on him were ineffective.  Be mindful when you should let the Holy Spirit convict others instead of your own words. 

 

Let God’s well-placed Words work in your life and use Job 40:6-14 to ask for forgiveness as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, I hear You answering me out of the storm. 

I no longer presume to instruct You;

forgive my past attempts to do so. 

Forgive me for trying to annul Your judgment.

I’m sorry for condemning You, so I might be justified.

 I do not have an arm like You, God,

and I cannot thunder with a voice like Yours. 

Forgive me for adorning myself with eminence and

dignity and clothing myself with honor and majesty.

 Forgive me for pouring out my overflowing anger

and looking on everyone who is proud, wanting to

 make them low.  Forgive me for looking on everyone

 who is proud, wanting to humble them, treading

down the wicked where they stand, to hide them

in the dust and bind them in the hidden place.

LORD, I confess that only Your right hand can save me.

Please save me in Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Job 39 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Job 39.  The LORD is speaking.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/job/39/1/s_475001

Meditate on verses 9a, 11a, and 12.

 

Will the wild ox consent to serve you? 

Will you trust him because his strength

 is great?  Will you have faith in him that he

 will return your grain and gather

 it from your threshing floor?

 

The LORD asks Job fourteen questions about eight different animals: mountain goats, deer, wild donkeys, wild oxen, ostriches, horses, hawks, and eagles.  “What do you really know about any of these animals, Job, and would you put your faith and trust in them?  Who knows everything about these animals, Job, and will you put your faith and trust in Me?”

 

In the midst of Job’s misery, God uses creation to teach Job Who He is and to counter the counsel of Job’s friends who encouraged Job to earn God’s favor by doing righteous deeds like feeding the hungry and caring for orphans and widows (Job 8:5-6; 11:13-19; 22:7, 9).  God wants Job to recognize works-based, self-reliant religion is as effective as putting his faith in a wild ox. 

 

In the midst of suffering, continue to put your faith in God, trusting His strength to carry you through the trial.  Putting your faith in wild donkeys and wild oxen will only get you kicked.   

 

Use the words from Job 39:11-12 and 17 to pray over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, ___________ and I trust You because Your strength

is great.  We leave our labor to You. 

LORD, we have been threshed,

but we have faith in You to gather and return

 what is on the threshing floor of our lives.

 Do not let us forget wisdom;

 please give us a share of understanding.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

 

Job 38 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Job 38.  The LORD is speaking.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/job/38/1/s_474001

Meditate on verses 4 and 21. The LORD is speaking.

 

Where were you when I laid

 the foundation of the earth?

Tell Me, if you have understanding.

You know, for you were born then, and

the number of your days is great!

 

With reproving sarcasm, the LORD asks Job 29 questions, jolting him back to reality.  Let God’s Words give you the jolt you need to remember who you are and Who God is.  Pray Job 38:2-12, 21, 25-27, 36, and 41 as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7). 

 

“LORD, forgive me for darkening counsel

by words without knowledge.

Forgive me for attempting to instruct You.

 LORD, I need You to instruct me!

Only You were there when You laid the

 foundation of the earth.  You set its measurements

and laid its cornerstone.  I will sing with the morning

 stars and shout for joy because of You.

You enclosed the sea with doors and made a

cloud its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band.

 You place boundaries on it and set a bolt and doors,

saying, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther, and

here shall your proud waves stop.’ 

You command the morning and cause

 the dawn to know its place. 

The number of my days is so finite; help me, LORD!

 You have cleft a channel for the flood

and a way for the thunderbolt, to

bring rain on a land without people, on

 a desert without a man in it, to

satisfy the waste and desolate land and

 make the seeds of grass to sprout. 

LORD, please rain on my wasted and desolate soul.

 Let Your life sprout in me!

Put wisdom in my innermost being

 and give understanding to my mind.

God, I need Your nourishment!  I’m crying out to You!

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha HarvellTop of Form

Bottom of Form

 

Job 37 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Job 37.  Elihu is speaking.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/job/37/1/s_473001

Meditate on verse 14b.

 

Stand and consider the wonders of God.

 

This chapter concludes 37 days of tragedy, finger-pointing, questioning, defending, and trying to make sense of trials and suffering.  Thankfully, Job 37 points us to God, giving us a perfect segue into the final chapters of Job where we hear God speak.  Elihu tells Job to stand up and think about the wonderful works of God (v. 14).  It is a good command for us as well.  Life can be hard, and we can be tempted to crawl under the covers when faced with difficulties, adding depression to our struggles.  Heed this command from Job 37:14.  If you are physically able, get up; go outside; look at the clouds; look at the stars; look at the birds, the trees, the rocks, the flowers; and think about how amazingly wonderful God is.  Think about God and pray Job 37:5, 11-14, 16, and 22-24 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7). 

 

“LORD God, You thunder with Your voice wondrously, doing

 great things which ______________ and I cannot comprehend.

 You load the thick clouds with moisture, and You disperse

the cloud with Your lightning.  It changes direction, turning

around by Your guidance, that it may do whatever You

command it on the face of the inhabited earth. 

Whether for correction, or for Your world, or for

lovingkindness, You cause it to happen. 

We will stand and consider Your wonders, God. 

You are perfect in knowledge.  Around You is

awesome majesty.  You are the Almighty; LORD, let

 us find You!  You are exalted in power.  You will

 not do violence to justice and abundant

righteousness.  We fear You.  Give us Your wise heart.

 In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

 

Job 36 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Job 36.  Elihu is speaking.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/job/36/1/s_472001

Meditate on verse 13.

 

But the godless in heart lay up anger;

they do not cry for help when He binds them.

 

Beware of the anger that often comes when you are in the midst of a trial.  Search your heart for stored up anger, crying out to God for help in releasing it.

 

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret

because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man

who carries out wicked schemes.  Cease from anger and forsake

wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

—Psalm 37:7-8

 

Turning from anger is easier said than done.  Give your trials and anger to the LORD and pray Job 36:13, 15-19 and 21-22 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, do not let ____________ and me be godless

 in our hearts and lay up anger.

LORD, we cry to You for help for You have bound us. 

Please deliver us in our affliction and open our

 ears to hear You in our oppression.  You entice us

 from the mouth of distress and offer us a broad place

 with no constraint and set before us a table full of fatness. 

Do not let us be so full of judgment on the wicked

that we are blind to what You are doing. 

Do not let judgment and justice take hold of us. 

Do not let wrath entice us to scoffing,

and do not let the greatness of the ransom

blind us to Your deliverance. 

Riches and our own strength will

 not keep us from distress. 

Do not let us turn to evil, preferring

 it to our affliction.

 God, You are exalted in Your power. 

There is no Teacher like You. 

Teach us in Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

 

 

 

Job 35 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Job 35.  Elihu is speaking.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/job/35/1/s_471001

Meditate on verses 9-10a.

 

Because of the multitude of oppressions, they cry out;

 they cry for help because of the arm of the mighty. 

But no one says, “Where is God my Maker?”

 

Prayers offered in the midst of suffering are often begging God to fix the situation and to fix it fast.  Do you ever pray to know God better in the midst of the suffering?  What would happen if your prayers changed from “LORD, please fix this mess” to “LORD, keep me in this difficult time until I know You”? 

 

God’s wants us to know He is LORD.

 

"Therefore behold, I am going to make them know—This time

 I will make them know My power and My might,

and they shall know that My name is the LORD."

—Jeremiah 16:21

 

The purpose of suffering is for obtaining wisdom, removing pride, and knowing God (Job 28:28; 33:17; 35:9-10).  Thank God for the trials of life, purposing to know Him more and more.

 

Pray Job 35:9-12 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, ___________ and I cry out because of the multitude of

oppressions, and we cry for help because of the arm of

the mighty.  In the midst of this difficulty, we cry out to know

 You, God our Maker, Who gives songs in the night and Who

teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and

makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens. 

As we cry out, please answer us! 

Please remove our evil pride! 

For the sake of Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell