Daily Notes & Observations is a 365-part series that follows a chronological daily Bible reading schedule and contains a short article based on something found in the text for each day. This material is also available in paperback.

The Wicked Prosper (1/9)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Job 21-23.

Why do the wicked still live, continue on, also become very powerful? Their descendants are established with them in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes, their houses are safe from fear, and the rod of God is not on them. His ox mates without fail; his cow calves and does not abort. They send forth their little ones like the flock, and their children skip about. They sing to the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the flute. They spend their days in prosperity, and suddenly they go down to Sheol. They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we entreat Him?’” (Job 21:7-15).

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I Know That My Redeemer Lives (1/8)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Job 17-20.

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth” (Job 19:25).

Job’s troubles were not going to be solved by his own actions. He understood this. Only God could deliver him. Despite the fact that his wife urged him to reject God (Job 2:9) and his friends repeatedly told him that God was the one who had afflicted him, Job held to his faith in the Lord. As long as his Redeemer lived, he had hope.
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Man is Short-Lived and Full of Turmoil (1/7)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Job 14-16.

Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil” (Job 14:1).

Job, while enduring the degree of hardships that most of us will never face, well understood two facts that are easy to forget when everything is going well.
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Hope in God (1/6)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Job 10-13.

Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him” (Job 13:15).

Job was in a miserable state, unsure why he was suffering as he was. His friends had been telling him this was God’s doing, a divine punishment for some sin Job refused to acknowledge. With nowhere else to turn, Job wanted a chance to appeal directly to God.

But even with the suffering that God was allowing, though Job may not have understood it, he was determined to put his full faith and trust in God. He knew this was the only place of security. Any hope he had for the future rested in the Lord.
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Disputes with God (1/5)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Job 6-9.

In truth I know that this is so; but how can a man be in the right before God? If one wished to dispute with Him, he could not answer Him once in a thousand times” (Job 9:2-3).

Far too often, man tries to argue with the Lord. It is not a direct confrontation like what may happen when two people argue over a matter, but it happens. Man believes he knows what is best, what is right, what is truth. Yet when we claim to be right, but are not conformed to His will, Paul says, “Let God be found true,” and “every man… a liar” (Romans 3:4). No matter how wise and discerning we believe we are, we cannot come close to even the “foolishness of God” (1 Corinthians 1:25). Having a thousand chances to prove ourselves right before Him will have the same result every time — God is always right. When we challenge Him, we are always wrong.
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Blessed Be the Name of the Lord (1/4)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Job 1-5.

Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

It is typically easier and more natural to praise God during times of blessing and prosperity. Yet this was not the occasion with Job. He had just received word that his sons and daughters and much of his wealth was gone. All of this was unexpected. Satan was sure this would provoke Job to curse the Lord (Job 1:11). Yet notice Job’s response to this great calamity:
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Trying to Reach Heaven (1/3)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Genesis 8-11.

They said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth’” (Genesis 11:4).

This was the reasoning of those who proposed to build what would be called the Tower of Babel. There are several errors of which they were guilty that we could consider. But probably the most notable was in their attempt to reach heaven. They were determined to do it their way, without any sort of assistance from God.* So God put an end to their ambitions.
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