Daily Devotional | Living with Integrity

Do you remember report card day in elementary school? Your teacher would send home a report card that evaluated how well you performed at math, science, and the rest of your subjects. If you got good grades, you were happy to bring your report card home. But if your report was less than stellar, you hid it at the bottom of your backpack.

In chapter 31, we get Job’s report card. In a self-evaluation, Job expresses the integrity of his life. He had fulfilled the requirements of God’s Law, and more. He did not follow the longings of his flesh but lived a blameless life (v. 6). Job lists a series of challenges that begin with “if.” In essence, “if” he did these things, then his punishment would be justified. However, implied in these challenges is the truth that he hadn’t done them.

He lists example after example: “If I have walked with falsehood” (v. 5); “if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled” (v. 7); “if my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door” (v. 9); “if I have denied justice to any of my servants” (v. 13); “if I have denied the desires of the poor” (v. 16). Job concludes: “If I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in the crowd,” then God’s punishment would have been justified (v. 33).

Clearly, Job lived a remarkable life. In both Job 1:1 and 1:8, he is described as “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” Job is not hiding his report card. His life was an open book, clearly demonstrating His obedience and respect for God.

Go Deeper

If you were to look back at your faith journey, what do you think your own report card would look like? Consider how you can aspire to fear God and live a life that is blameless and upright.

Pray with Us: God of light and truth, before the brightness of Your presence even the angels veil their faces. Yet You came to dwell with us in Christ. You’ve shown us the path of righteousness. Keep us, we pray, from straying from this path!

BY Eric W. Moore

Eric Moore is Professor and Chair of the Applied Theology Field at Moody Theological Seminary. Eric is graduate of Michigan State University, Dallas Theological Seminary, the University of Michigan, and Western Seminary. He is the author of Pastoring the Small Church and a contributor to the One Volume Seminary (Moody Publishers). He has pastored Tree of Life Bible Fellowship church for over two decades. Eric and his wife, Marilyn, live in southeast Michigan and have three children.