“Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand.” – Job 40:12

J.B. Phillips was a successful pastor and prolific author in the mid-twentieth century. His books sold into the millions and are still popular today. Phillips’s legendary success established him as a leading voice in the work of the church all around the world.

But in Phillips’s autobiography, “The Price of Success”, he personally laments the great cost of his worldly success. He writes:

“I was in a state of some excitement throughout 1955. My work was intrinsically exciting. My health was excellent; my future prospects were rosier than my wildest dreams could suggest; applause, honor and appreciation met me everywhere I went.

I was well aware of the dangers of sudden wealth and took some severe measures to make sure that, although comfortable, I should never be rich. I was not nearly so aware of the dangers of success. The subtle corrosion of character, the unconscious changing of values and the secret monstrous growth of a vastly inflated idea of myself seeped slowly into me.

Vaguely I was aware of this and, like some frightful parody of St. Augustine, I prayed, “Lord, make me humble, but not yet.” I can still savor the sweet and gorgeous taste of it all: the warm admiration, the sense of power, of overwhelming ability, of boundless energy and never-failing enthusiasm. It is very plain to me now why my one-man kingdom of power and glory had to stop.”

One sin the Lord hates is pride. He desires humility in us as we look to Him for our source of strength. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is all-powerful and it is through the blood of Jesus we are saved by His grace.

“Pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes.” – John Ruskin

God’s Word: “They will spread out their hands in it, as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim. God will bring down their pride despite the cleverness of their hands.” – Isaiah 25:11

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

"His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step.” – Job 34:21

The website VisualCapitalist.com had an article entitled “The Most Heavily Surveilled Cities in the World” (outside of China). In response to the growth in megacities in density, governments, businesses, and households have installed countless security cameras for various purposes including crime protection. The article listed 4 cities in India with the most cameras per 100,000 people. Coming in at number 1 was the city of Indore, India. With a population of 3.2 million people, Indore has some 200,600 surveillance cameras. That is 63 cameras per 100,000 people.

In comparison to similar-sized Los Angeles, California, the largest surveilled U.S. city, the city of Indore has 7 times as many surveillance cameras.

In China, there is an estimated 373 cameras per 1,000 people.

No matter where you go, nothing escapes the notice of the Lord. Today in prayer, praise Jesus that His eyes are upon you and live your life in obedience to His Word.

“Life is a tapestry:  We are the warp; angels, the weft; God, the weaver.  Only the Weaver sees the whole design.” – Eileen Elias Freeman

God’s Word: “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” – Proverbs 15:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.” – Job 33:28

Larry Blue was sexually abused as a child and he tried to numb his pain. “I had started gambling, looking at pornography, drinking alcohol at 13 years old, and I grew mushrooms and sold them at school,” Larry said. “I made my own acid or LSD and sold that at school. Just about anything I put my hands on was becoming an addiction.”

In September 2001, Larry was arrested for his 7th DUI and was handed a 14-year prison sentence. “The judge right away started to tell me, ‘You can forget about getting a bond. You can forget about getting bail. You are going to prison.’”

For the first time in years, Larry started to pray and also started reading the Bible.

He went to a prison church service where the pastor challenged the inmates to give their lives to God. He was immediately delivered from all of his addictions. He also gained the courage to forgive his childhood abuser.

Larry said: “God has done miraculous things in my life in such a short period of time. Don’t wait. Reach out for him now.”

The Lord is in the practice of redeeming souls lost in sin and giving them eternal life. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He found you lost in your sin, that He redeemed you through His precious death on the Cross, and granted you eternal life in Him.

“Redemption never comes by our own efforts. Spiritually, redemption cannot happen without a Redeemer. This word is precious because it reminds followers of Jesus that relationship with Him has been purchased at great cost.” – Bob Snider

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” – Galatians 3:13

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.” – Job 32:8

In his book “The Dangerous Act of Worship”, Pastor Mark Labberton writes: “Ben was a very successful man. His professional life flourished. His family life was challenging, as a parent of several teenagers. For him, Christian faith was a distant and disconnected reality. But he began to have conversations about it with his wife and later with me.

One Sunday I was surprised but pleased to see him in the worship service. As he approached me at the door afterward, his eyes began to fill with tears. He explained that while visiting Washington, D.C, for a professional conference, he had gone to visit the National Cathedral. He slipped into an empty side chapel and sat down for some quiet time and reflection. There, unexpected and unsought, God’s Spirit simply came upon him. Ben became a new person. The awe and wonder of grace and truth beyond his own mind, his own questions, his own needs, simply met him and changed him. It was as though his life was utterly redefined, and it has been ever since.”

The Holy Spirit is God and He gives us understanding. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He has imparted to you the Holy Spirit.

“The Holy Spirit is not a blessing from God. He is God.” – Colin Urquhart

God’s Word: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” – John 16:13-15

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS In JOB. †

“If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,' if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.” – Job 31:24-28

In 2002, French doctors were taken aback when they discovered the reason for a patient’s sore, swollen belly: He had swallowed around 350 coins — $650 worth — along with assorted necklaces and needles.

The 62-year-old man came to the emergency room of Cholet General Hospital in western France. He had a history of major psychiatric illness, was suffering from stomach pain, and could not eat or move his bowels.

His family warned doctors that he sometimes swallowed coins, and a few had been removed from his stomach in past hospital visits.

Still, doctors were awed when they took an X-ray. They discovered an enormous opaque mass in his stomach that turned out to weigh 12 pounds — as much as some bowling balls. It was so heavy it had forced his stomach down between his hips.

Five days after his arrival, doctors cut him open and removed his badly damaged stomach with its contents. He died 12 days later from complications.

We cannot put our trust in money. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for being the only true foundation where we can place our trust and put your trust in Him and not in money.

“Money is the root of every mess you can think of. Anyone who lives for money is surely missing the best things in life.” – Sadie and Bessie Delany

God’s Word: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” – 1 Timothy 6:10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB.   †

“because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him. The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing.” – Job 29:11-12

Almost every night, an alarm rings in the home of Pastor Lee Jong-rak and his wife. It signals that a baby has been dropped off in a drop box installed in the outer wall of their home to provide a safe place for babies that would otherwise be left to die on the streets. As a pastor of the Jusarang Community Church in Seoul, South Korea, he knows all to well how much perfection is heralded. Since the drop box offers a place for leaving the babies anonymously, many of the babies that Pastor Lee and his wife receive are physically or mentally handicapped.  Since 2009, more than 630 babies have been saved and many have been adopted. They see about 25 babies per month since 2012.

Pastor Lee’s goal is to close the baby drop box because it would no longer be needed. The unborn need to be protected. The mothers need to be taken care of. He said: “That kind of world and society is what I dream of.”

We can all have a heart for orphans and do something to love them. Today in prayer, ask the Lord how you can help some of the orphans in this world.

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has the eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” - Augustine

God’s Word: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'” – Job 28:28

Joseph S. Exell wrote: “Wisdom is not cleverness, though it is often mistaken for it, especially by the young, who are apt to give to a certain kind of intellectual ability a great deal more of admiration than it deserves. What we want for our practical guidance is the wisdom of the judge. If we look on practical Wisdom as that which guides us to the line of conduct best calculated to secure our happiness, it must undoubtedly be wise to secure the favour of Him who is infinite in power, and whose rewards are eternal. When we turn to the New Testament we find a basis for Christian ethics very different from that of the most enlightened selfishness. The spring of our actions must be love to Christ, and likeness to Christ the model of perfection at which we must aim. And what was the character of Christ? “Christ pleased not Himself.” He came to benefit; mindful only of the great object for which He had come, and to seek and to save them which were lost. Christ pleased not Himself, so let every one of you please his neighbour for his good to edification. Here is the paradox of Christianity. Wisdom teaches us to provide for our happiness in the most enlightened way; but here we have what seems quite a different rule; seek not your own happiness at all; live and work for the happiness of others. The key to the paradox is found in our Lord’s words, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ If you want to know what are the fruits of that which is a higher and warmer thing than mere virtue, real love for others, such as that of which our Redeemer’s earthly life is the highest pattern, we need only imagine His example followed by a single individual. It is eminently true of love, ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you.’” 

Fearing God is the yielding our hearts to Jesus. Today in prayer, love the Lord with your whole heart and He will give you wisdom. 

“The truly wise are those whose souls are in Christ.” – Ambrose

God’s Word: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.” – Job 27:2-4

In May 2016 an Israeli man petitioned for a restraining order against God. Apparently the plaintiff, identified as Mr. David Shoshan, represented himself at a court hearing in Haifa, a port city in the north of Israel.

The court heard God had been particularly unkind to Mr Shoshan, treating him "harshly and not nicely", though no specific details were given about what exactly had happened to make him bitter.

Mr Shoshan claimed he made several attempts to contact police to report God’s alleged crimes, and that patrol cars had been sent to his house on 10 occasions.

However, the measure was ineffective against the deity and police advised him to take out a restraining order.

The request for a restraining order was denied by the presiding Judge Ahsan Canaan, who said the request was “delusional” and that the petitioner required help from sources outside of the court.

Whatever bitterness you have tasted, do not let it consume you. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that in Christ, you are a victor over all sin and death and pray that bitterness does not take a hold of you.

“Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” – Ron McManus

God’s Word: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” – Ephesians 4:31

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble!” – Job 26:2

Tracy Judkins ran away from the chaos of her dysfunctional family at the age of 17. To support herself, she ran into an even darker place.

"The world of topless dancing is a world of fabrication," Tracy said. "The only way you are accepted is sexually. You have to learn how to manipulate manipulation."

Tracy also got hooked on methamphetamines. 

"I began this journey of intense violence. It was theft. It was assault. I had no conviction at all. I had no fear. I had no fear because I didn’t believe in God."

Tracy was in and out of jail and mental institutions. The streets became her home. 

"I had warrants out for my arrest. My own mother had an order of protection against me because I became violent towards her."

Finally, Tracy turned herself in to the police and went to jail.

"I felt as though I hadn’t just hit the bottom, but I slammed through to the pit. I felt such despair. There was no hope. No hope. No light. I cried out to a God that I didn’t believe in. I said, ‘If you are real, you have to help me. Please help me.’ I was crying out again, to a God I didn’t believe in.

"It must have been 10 minutes of crying and crying, and suddenly out of nowhere, I felt a warmth hit both of my feet and at the same time. I knew it was a healing, and the words that came out of my mouth were, ‘Praise you sweet Jesus of Nazareth.’ How I knew to say that, I’ll never know. The warmth traveled up my entire body and I felt a comfort and peace I had not felt all of my life. It was the beginning of my life."

In 2005, Tracy entered a women’s halfway house and went to church.

"The changes that started happening to me were so profound – so profound."

Today, Tracy is completely free from her drug addiction and mentors recovering addicts in Arizona.

Our God sees our tears, hears our sobs and draws close to the powerless. Today in prayer, praise Jesus that He is a God of compassion.

“The dew of compassion is a tear.” – Lord Byron 

God’s Word: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” – Romans 5:6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB †

“Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven.” – Job 25:2 

People report having three awe experiences a week on average, said Dacher Keltner, director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Keltner’s lab has been working with the Sierra Club to take 56 inner-city high-school students on a rafting trip and study whether they experience academic benefits. Preliminary findings show that a week after the trip the teens reported being more engaged and curious about what was happening in the world.

Awe experiences may help fight depression; experts theorize. Other research from Dr. Keltner’s lab, published online in the January 2015 journal Emotion, indicates awe may help reduce inflammation. Researchers asked 119 undergraduates to rate how often they felt seven positive emotions including awe. Those who reported feeling awe the most had the lowest levels of inflammation markers in their saliva. The study didn’t examine the link between awe and depression, but past studies have found heightened inflammation in people with depression. “I think awe could be a great intervention,” says Jennifer Stellar, lead researcher on the study.

Researchers believe awe is powerful because it takes us out of our own heads. “Awe minimizes our individual identity and attunes us to things bigger than ourselves,” said Paul Piff, assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Irvine.

God is the Creator of all and His creation is awesome and beautiful. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His Creation.

“This is the creator; by his love, our Father; by his power, our Lord; by his wisdom; our maker and designer.” – Irenaeus 

God’s Word: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” – Hebrews 11:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life.” – Job 24:22

In 1999, Israel's National Parks Authority said it would build a submerged bridge into the Sea of Galilee that would allow tourists to simulate Jesus' miraculous walk on water.

Zeev Margalit, head of planning, said the authority's decision was based on a canvass of church officials and a review of the plans. He said he believed it would "not hurt the feelings of the Christian tourists and it would not be too kitschy, so we decided to go with it."

The 13-foot-wide, 28-foot-long, crescent-shaped floating bridge would be submerged two inches below water, and would be able to accommodate up to 50 people. To enhance the “walking on water” effect, it would not be railed, but lifeguards and boats would be on hand in case a walker slips off.

Alas, the project was not built.

Christ alone is the eternal King. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He alone is all-powerful and at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.

“The greatest single distinguishing feature of the omnipotence of God is that our imagination gets lost thinking about it.” – Blaise Pascal

God’s Word: “The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.” – Psalm 97:1

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB  †

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” – Job 23:10

The landscape along Florida’s Everglades is dotted with wiry primitive looking trees known as Caribbean Pines. They thrive in a rugged environment, can withstand prolonged periods of drought and fire, and hold their own against the fiercest hurricanes. In fact, if you plant them in a cultivated setting they usually shrivel and die. Christian author Joni Eareckson Tada said, “Like Caribbean Pines, our souls usually don’t thrive during good times. Our hearts grow complacent, our need of God becomes less urgent, our hope of heaven dims, and our prayer life dries up… in a beautiful setting with our needs met and every resource at our fingertips… our soul shrivels… We need an occasional blast of storm or fierce trial if our faith is to mature.”

The Lord tests us and knows what needs to be refined in our lives to make us more like Him. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His testing, knowing that testing brings you closer to Jesus.

“We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them.” – Charles C. West

“For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.” – Psalm 66:10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest?” – Job 21:22

In his book “Dream with Me, Christian author John M. Perkins writes about true justice: “For decades I’ve tried to meet people where they hurt. I’ve preached and desired to see “justice for all,” and I still fervently believe in it. God loves justice and wants His people to seek justice (see Ps. 11 and Mic. 6:8). But I’ve come to understand that true justice is wrapped up in love. The old-time preacher and prophet A. W. Tozer had a way of making the most profound truths simple and palatable. He once said, “God is love, and just as God is love, God is justice.” That’s it! God’s love and justice come together in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, and we can’t be about one and not the other. They’re inextricably connected.”

In our relationship with God, He is our teacher and judge. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His wisdom in administering justice and mercy.

“I will govern my life and my thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one, and to read the other. For what does it signify to make anything a secret to neighbor, when to God, who is the Searcher of hearts, all our privacies are open?” – Seneca

God’s Word: “But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.” – Psalm 75:7

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin.” – Job 14:16-17

Providence Rhode Island Municipal Court Judge Frank Caprio is known for his compassionate verdicts. Once the 80-year-old municipal judge heard a case against Kimberly Napton. She was arraigned in court for two red light violations. On the day of a violation, her husband was being treated for brain cancer. She revealed her husband had just passed away. The judge said he was not going to look at the traffic video. He said: “My heart goes out to you. Because of the circumstances, justice demands that I dismiss the case.”

Kimberly thanked the judge and then offered to pay $20 to any single mom that might be fined. She had been a single mom for years and wanted to help financially to someone in need. There was a single mom in need, and the judge permitted Kimberly to help the woman in the courtroom.

We have a Heavenly Father who has compensated for our all of our sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for covering your sins and live today for Christ's glory.

“When Jesus bowed his head, And dying took our place, The veil was rent, a way was found To that pure home of grace.” – John Elias

God’s Word: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” – 1 Peter 3:18

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.” – Job 13:3-5

The American term a “quack” is a “fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill” or “a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, qualification or credentials they do not possess; a charlatan or snake oil salesman”.

William J. Bailey  used a favorite sales tactic of quacks throughout the ages to promote his cure-all drink: appealing to lost male virility. RadiThor, which consisted of radium dissolved in water, was sold as a cure-all and energy giver in the 1920s.

The most famous victim of Bailey’s RadiThor drink was Eben Byers, a Pittsburgh socialite who became psychologically addicted to it after an injury—despite the fact that the product did not contain narcotics. Byers was known to drink one or two bottles of the poisonous drink every day for more than 3 years, telling all his friends about its benefits.

But radiation destroyed Byers’ skeleton, eventually eating away at his skull and jaw. He died in 1932 and the federal government reacted by shutting Bailey’s radium business down.

We need to avoid giving and listening to foolish advice. Today in prayer, look to the Lord in prayer and in your Bible for the wisdom needed to answer your questions.

“Do not open your heart to every man, but discuss your affairs with one who is wise and who fears God.”  – Thomas a Kempis

God’s Word: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” – Psalm 1:1-2

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” – Job 12:13

In November 1966, radio station WCUE in Akron, Ohio started its “Trafficopter” service on an experimental basis with a leased helicopter. The reports proved so popular that the station soon acquired a helicopter of its own and expanded the service to regular five-day tours of 7:15–8:30 a.m. and 4:30–5:30 p.m. covering the morning and afternoon commutes. Soon many motorists were tuning in for the traffic report in order to avoid congested streets. The helicopter traffic reports proved so popular that the radio station won an award for reporting. 

There is practical advice from this story. As we travel along life's road, we do much the same as misguided drivers. With our limited foresight we select the route that seems best—only to find that the temporary advance has led us into a road filled with delay and heartache. But how reassuring that we can look to Jesus who is above everything, who knows the end from the beginning! Let us be wise and look for direction from above. 

In all that you say and do, seek God’s wisdom. Today in prayer, look to the Lord for His wisdom to respond in His way in every situation.

“He is truly wise who looks upon the earthly things as folly that he may gain Christ.” – Thomas `a Kempis

God’s Word: “For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 2:6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” – Job 11:7

In 2021, nearly 77 years after it sank, the USS Johnston was found, thanks in part historian Parks Stephenson. The ship sank in October 1944 off the coast of the Philippines during the Battle off Samar, which was part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

The ship hadn’t been spotted since then. Sitting more than 21,000 feet below the surface, Stephenson, who conducts research as a hobby, helped steer a group of researchers in its direction. It was the deepest shipwreck ever surveyed

“The first dive, didn’t find anything,” he said. “Second dive, didn’t find anything. Then the bow came out of the darkness. This was our heritage. This one you could see the battle scars, see the shots it took.”

We cannot fathom the mysteries of this world, never mind the mysteries of God. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is Lord of all and He knows the answers to everything.

“For there is no other mystery of God, except Christ.” – Augustine

God’s Word: “Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these: "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.” – Daniel 2:27-29

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.” – Job 10:12

Karl Barth was one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century.  His twelve-volume Church Dogmatics, alone, consists of over ten thousand pages of systematic theology. Toward the end of his life, Barth made a tour of the United States, where he had the opportunity to speak at several of our nation’s top universities.  During a question and answer time following one of his lectures, a student posed, what seemed an impossible question to answer.

“Dr. Barth, you have written extensively on every aspect of theology and church history.  I’m wondering if you could sum it all up in a short sentence or two.”  The room fell silent.  Dr. Barth just stood there for a moment, carefully considering how to respond.  Some of the professors and students who were there clearly began to feel awkward that such a trifling question would be asked of such a brilliant scholar.

Finally, Karl Barth turned toward the student and succinctly replied, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

The Lord deeply cares for us and watches over us. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is a loving Father.

“God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love.” - Augustine

God’s Word: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

"My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.” – Job 9:25

The Ineos 1:59 Challenge was a successful attempt by Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge to break the two-hour mark for running the marathon distance. The event was specifically created for Kipchoge and held in Vienna, Austria, on 12 October 2019.

For the Ineos challenge, Kipchoge was joined by forty-one pacemakers who rotated twice each lap and ran in a V-formation in order to reduce wind resistance. Hydration was provided by a team coordinator on a bicycle, and not via the usual water station method, in order to save time.

Kipchoge completed the challenge with an official time of 1:59:40.2, an average speed of 13.2 mph. 

The achievement was recognized by Guinness World Records with the titles "Fastest marathon distance (male)" and "First marathon distance under two hours". 

The days of our life go so quickly. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for this day and live it fully for Him.

“Few, we are persuaded, even among professing Christians, so realize the swiftness of their days, as to live every day to God – to spend all their days in the service of Christ, and with a view to preparedness for eternity.” – Thomas Wallace

God’s Word: “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field” – Psalm 103:15

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” – Job 6:14

The Korean War movie “Devotion” is based on the true story of the U.S. Navy's first Black fighter pilot, Jesse Brown, and his white wingman Tom Hudner. Tom and Jesse’s friendship grew during the time they flew together. 

On their last mission together, Jesse’s plane was shot down over North Korea. He was able to guide the plane onto a frozen lake, but then found himself trapped in the plane that had collapsed around him.

Devoted to his wingman, Tom risked his life to save Jesse whose aircraft was now on fire.  Fully aware of the extreme danger in landing on the rough mountainous terrain, Tom put his plane down skillfully in a deliberate wheels-up landing in the presence of enemy troops. With his bare hands, he packed the fuselage with snow to keep the flames away from Jesse and struggled to pull him free. 

Unsuccessful in this Tom returned to his crashed aircraft and radioed other airborne planes, requesting that a helicopter be dispatched with an ax and fire extinguisher. He then remained on the spot despite the continuing danger from enemy action and, with the assistance of the rescue pilot, renewed a desperate but unavailing battle against time, cold, and flames. Jesse died knowing that his friend was devoted to him.

We all need life long, devoted friends who are there especially during our darkest days. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for your friends and let them know you appreciate their friendship.

“Here's another way to determine who your friends are. They will be standing by you when a hardship or crisis comes.” – Greg Laurie

God’s Word: “Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you-- better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.” – Proverbs 27:10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” – Job 5:17

Bobby Knight was one of college basketball's most successful coaches having coached at Army, Indiana, and Texas Tech. Knight sparked controversy with his outspoken nature and demonstrative behavior. 

He was well known for the extreme preparation he put into each game and practice. He was often quoted as saying, "Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win."

With that philosophy, he was tough on his team.

In 1984, Bobby Knight coached the Olympic Basketball team that won a gold medal. Wayman Tisdale, the great all-American basketball player from Oklahoma University and a member of the 1984 Olympic basketball team, was asked what winning the gold medal meant to him. He smiled and said, "This medal isn't for winning the basketball tournament; it's for surviving Bobby Knight".

Discipline is never pleasant, but discipline from God always brings blessings. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for any correction He has brought into your life.

“God has no pleasure in afflicting us, but He will not keep back even the most painful chastisement if He can but thereby guide His beloved child to come home and abide in the beloved Son.” – Andrew Murray

God’s Word: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.’” – Job 1:21

Benjamin Schmolke was a German Lutheran pastor in the 1700’s. A fire raged over his parish and laid in ruins his church and the homes of his people.  A Counter-Reformation occurred in Germany and Lutherans were allowed only one church to minister to a population scattered over some thirty-six villages, Then God’s angel of death took his wife and children, leaving him alone. Then he suffered a series of strokes, leaving him paralyzed in his right hand. Then cataracts caused him blindness. It was under all this avalanche of ills and calamity that Schmolke dictated the sweet hymn beginning with the verse--

“My Jesus, as Thou wilt!

Oh, may Thy will be mine;

Into Thy hand of love

My all I would resign.”

The Lord is the giver of all good things, and it is naturally difficult when someone or something is taken away from us. Today in prayer, if you are wrestling after a loss, praise the Lord that He is near to you during difficult times.

“In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety.” – A.W. Tozer

God’s Word: “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:20

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †

“In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” – Job 1:1

In an article entitled “Qualities That Please God”, Theodore Epp writes: “In brief but pointed phrases Job is described in the first verse in the book: "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil" (Job 1:1).

First of all, he is said to be "perfect." This word does not refer to sinless perfection but to the fact that Job wholeheartedly wanted to please God.

Second, Job is described as an upright man. He had a good relationship with other human beings, which was due to his having a right relationship with God. He was a man of unusual piety.

Third, Job was a man who feared God. In the Old Testament context this refers to a man who had a reverential trust of God coupled with a hatred for evil. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10). With that trust in God grows a sensitivity to sin and a hatred of it.

Fourth, Job was a man who eschewed evil, which means that he turned away from it. He abstained from evil and shunned it. His manner of life corresponded to his relationship with God.

Through trust in Jesus Christ, we have been cleansed from sin. Its guilt has been removed, and we are counted righteous in God's eyes.

We are born again, but does our conduct before other people indicate what our relationship is before God? Job's conduct did.”

Blameless and upright Christians seek the Lord first in all that they do. Today in prayer, ask Jesus to take all of your life for His glory.

“I fear God, yet I am not afraid of Him.” - Thomas Browne

God’s Word: “This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” – Genesis 6:9

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2023, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB. †