Daily Devotional | Zophar: Twists and Turns

When we were kids, my cousins received a game for Christmas called Twister. It had a plastic sheet that was laid on the floor, and on it were different colored dots. When you spun the needle, the arrow would stop on either a hand or foot and a color. So, you had to put your foot or hand on the colored dot on the sheet. This was the case for every player. Soon everyone was twisted into a knot.

In Job 20, Zophar was twisting Job’s words into something that wasn’t representative of Job’s circumstances (v. 3). Zophar gives a great overview of the ultimate end of the wicked. In fact, chapter 20 of Job is an excellent argument against living an unrighteous and ungodly life. According to Zophar, the results of this type of life will end in ruin for the wicked. The problem with his argument is he is directing it at Job who is not unrighteous, ungodly, or wicked.

Although written several years later, Job would have most identified with the words of Psalm 92: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him’” (Ps. 92:12–15). From Job’s perspective, he should have been flourishing in his old age like a palm tree.

But life does not always work the way we expect. God allows circumstances to enter our life for the purpose of developing our character and bringing Him glory. Like for Job, the reason is not always revealed for us. But we can trust Him to always do what is best.

Go Deeper

What twists and turns have you had to deal with in your life? How were you able to adjust to those expected circumstances?

Pray with Us: Merciful God, whenever we seek You, love is what we find! In Christ, we know Your love; in Him we find life. Teach us to seek Christ through all the twists and turns of our destiny.

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.