1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 1: John Stangey, and today we're in Job chapter thirty five, 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the New Living Translation. Then Elai, 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: who said, do you think it is right for you 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: to claim I am righteous before God? For you also 8 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: ask what's in it for me? What's the use of 9 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: living a righteous life? I will answer you and all 10 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: your friends too. Look up into the sky and see 11 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: the clouds high above you. If you sin, how does 12 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: that affect God? Even if you sin again and again? 13 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: What effect will it have on him? If you are good, 14 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: is this some great gift to him? What could you 15 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: possibly give him? No, your sins affect only people like yourself, 16 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: and your good deeds also affect only humans. People cry 17 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: out when they are oppressed. They've grown beneath the power 18 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: of the Mighty. Yet they don't ask, where is God, 19 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: my creator, the one who gives songs in the night. 20 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: Where is the one who makes us smarter than the 21 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: animals and wiser than the birds of the sky. And 22 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: when they cry out, God does not answer because of 23 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: their pride. But it is wrong to say God doesn't listen. 24 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: To say the Almighty isn't concerned. You say you can't 25 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: see him, but he will bring justice if you will 26 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: only wait. You say, he does not respond to sinners 27 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: with anger and is not greatly concerned about wickedness. But 28 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: you are talking nonsense. Job, You have spoken like a fool. 29 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and 30 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: we thank you for this portion of scripture and the 31 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: privilege to be able to look at it today. And Lord, 32 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 1: as we look at this portion of scripture, as it's 33 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: revealing things about what Job was doing and how he 34 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,239 Speaker 1: was confronted, we pray Lord that we would gain wisdom 35 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: for our own lives from what we're reading in this passage. Lord, 36 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: we recognize, first of all, justice is said here that 37 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: there's no gift that we can truly give to you 38 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: that you need. You don't need anything that we can offer, 39 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: And in fact, you give to us gifts that we 40 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: can't deserve or earn, the biggest of which being salvation 41 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: through faith in your son Jesus Christ. You give that 42 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: to us as a gift we don't deserve. That, but 43 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 1: we're grateful Lord to receive it. And we're also grateful 44 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: Lord that, even though for a season, Job felt like 45 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: you weren't hearing him, we're grateful Lord that that record 46 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: gets set straight in a portion of scripture like this, 47 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: where it's revealed through Elihu that you absolutely do listen 48 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: and you do hear. The problem is sometimes we get 49 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: in the way of being able to listen to you 50 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 1: because we're talking and talking and complaining and complaining instead 51 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: of listening to what you're revealing and listening to what 52 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,839 Speaker 1: you're saying. So, Lord, when we pray to you, when 53 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: we make our requests before you, help us to also 54 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 1: be listening to what you say. And Lord, if your 55 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: answer is not what we wanted to hear, help us 56 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: to be content just the same, and to recognize that 57 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: you are accomplishing a purpose and a work in our 58 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: life that is far beyond what we sometimes are able 59 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: to comprehend. Help us to trust you in the midst 60 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: of it all. We love you, Lord, and we thank 61 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: you for this day. We thank you that you're present 62 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: with us, and we commit this day to your care, 63 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.