I Will Not Deny My Integrity
"How you have helped the powerless!
How you have saved the arm that is feeble!
What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
And what great insight you have displayed!
Who has helped you utter these words?
And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?...
As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made my life bitter, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies.
I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity.
I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it;
My conscience will not reproach me as long as I live. (Job 26:1-4; 27:1-6).
How you have saved the arm that is feeble!
What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
And what great insight you have displayed!
Who has helped you utter these words?
And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?...
As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made my life bitter, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies.
I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity.
I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it;
My conscience will not reproach me as long as I live. (Job 26:1-4; 27:1-6).
"I will not deny my integrity."
The Bible tells us that Job was a very righteous man. God was so pleased with Job that He put a hedge of protection around him. This protection prevented Satan from successfully attacking him. From the exchange Satan had with God, it was obvious that Satan had been seeking to attack Job for a rather long time. The only reason he hadn't succeeded was that Job was under impenetrable divine protection.
But, alas, God gave permission for Satan to attack Job, and he viciously did so. In one day, Job lost every material possession he had. He even lost all his children. Things were so bad that his wife actually told him to curse God and die! But Job held onto his relationship with God. Job complained but he never cursed God. He questioned God, but he did not give up on God. The question that puzzled him most was why such bad times had fallen on him, a righteous person. Why were the wicked living in luxury and enjoying life while he, a righteous and kind man, was in such a predicament?
Probably, one of the most challenging things Job had to deal with were the accusations leveled against him by his three closest friends. His friends had come to console him, but their presence brought even greater distress to Job. They said in no uncertain terms that Job was suffering because of his "sins." Job's disgust with his friends is summarized in his sarcastic words to them: "How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble!... And what great insight you have displayed! And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?"
Job was convinced of his own righteousness; therefore, he did not bow to the pressure from his friends to deny that he was a person of integrity. He would not do a plea bargain with his accusers because he knew he was not guilty of their accusations. Job staunchly declared:
"I will never admit you are right till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it: my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live." In the end, Job was vindicated by God and he had to pray for his skeptical friends!
There are several stories of people who spent years in jail because of false accusations. They went to jail rather than confess to a wrong that they did not do!
Lesson: The truth is, there are times in life when we may be accused of things we haven't done. If we are confident of our innocence then, like Job, we must not deny our integrity. We cannot appease our accusers by bowing to pressure against our conscience. As long as we are in the right, our conscience will not accuse us. On the contrary, God will deal with the conscience of those who falsely accuse the righteous. God will vindicate you. He did it for Job. He will do it for you. Do not deny your integrity."
The Bible tells us that Job was a very righteous man. God was so pleased with Job that He put a hedge of protection around him. This protection prevented Satan from successfully attacking him. From the exchange Satan had with God, it was obvious that Satan had been seeking to attack Job for a rather long time. The only reason he hadn't succeeded was that Job was under impenetrable divine protection.
But, alas, God gave permission for Satan to attack Job, and he viciously did so. In one day, Job lost every material possession he had. He even lost all his children. Things were so bad that his wife actually told him to curse God and die! But Job held onto his relationship with God. Job complained but he never cursed God. He questioned God, but he did not give up on God. The question that puzzled him most was why such bad times had fallen on him, a righteous person. Why were the wicked living in luxury and enjoying life while he, a righteous and kind man, was in such a predicament?
Probably, one of the most challenging things Job had to deal with were the accusations leveled against him by his three closest friends. His friends had come to console him, but their presence brought even greater distress to Job. They said in no uncertain terms that Job was suffering because of his "sins." Job's disgust with his friends is summarized in his sarcastic words to them: "How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble!... And what great insight you have displayed! And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?"
Job was convinced of his own righteousness; therefore, he did not bow to the pressure from his friends to deny that he was a person of integrity. He would not do a plea bargain with his accusers because he knew he was not guilty of their accusations. Job staunchly declared:
"I will never admit you are right till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it: my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live." In the end, Job was vindicated by God and he had to pray for his skeptical friends!
There are several stories of people who spent years in jail because of false accusations. They went to jail rather than confess to a wrong that they did not do!
Lesson: The truth is, there are times in life when we may be accused of things we haven't done. If we are confident of our innocence then, like Job, we must not deny our integrity. We cannot appease our accusers by bowing to pressure against our conscience. As long as we are in the right, our conscience will not accuse us. On the contrary, God will deal with the conscience of those who falsely accuse the righteous. God will vindicate you. He did it for Job. He will do it for you. Do not deny your integrity."
Prayer: Father, I thank you that you are my vindicator. Please help me not to deny my integrity. Amen.