Topic: Relieving The Oppressed [DCLM Daily Manna 3 August 2020 Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Job 26:1-14 (KJV)
1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Key Verse: “But Job answered and said, How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?” (Job 26:1, 2).
MESSAGE:
A brother was preparing for marriage, and many unsavoury things just kept on happening to him. He lost his job and his attempt to get accommodation was like a camel passing through the eye of a needle. After some protracted struggles, he managed to raise some money for the marriage.
On the set date, as he was going for the ceremony, he was attacked and stripped of all the cash he was going with. He came back with tales of woes and most of the brethren concluded that he must have been living in secret sin to have experienced such calamities which is not befitting of a true child of God.
This is similar to the experience of Job. His three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, who came initially to comfort him later turned out to accuse him of wrong doings which they believed caused his afflictions.
Our reaction when a brother or sister is going through intense trials, persecution, sickness, bereavement, extreme poverty, etc., is very important. We are to weep with them that weep by being an encouragement and support to them. We must not be like the three friends of Job who became accusers instead of comforters.
Do not do anything to add to their pains and sufferings. Isolating them because of what they are going through will be the most unkind and uncharitable thing to do. Let us be there for them in their trying times and together we shall rejoice when the sunshine of victory breaks forth for them.
Thought For The Day: Encourage the discouraged, strengthen the weak.
The Bible In One Year: Ezra 7-10
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
