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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/3JirQaD
View the devo: https://youtu.be/WGnzLXoDeEE
23 “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, 24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! 25 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—(Job 19:23-27a)
A blessed and glory-filled Wednesday be yours today and all days, dear Friend. This passage made me think of the old song, "Heaven came down, and glory filled my soul. When at the cross my Saviour made me whole (made me whole) My sins were washed away And my night was turned to day Heaven came down and glory filled my soul." May it be so in you and me and all who read or listen to this devotional today.
This passage is very relevant considering the number of fellow Americans who have lost their SNAP benefits or who have not been paid during this government shutdown. In our state of Texas alone, 3.5 million people have lost their food stamps. On Halloween Nellie and I handed out large size candy bars as well as Velveeta and Kraft mac and cheese cups just in case some of the kids coming by did not have food. One little girl said she did not want candy but did want the mac and cheese. I said she could have both and she replied, "Really?" Not many of us, thank God, know what it feels like to lose everything. Some have lost loved ones and that's very close in pain, suffering, terror, etc. in losing everything.
We should all know at least the background story of the man named Job. He went from being the most blessed man in the world to one who lost all. And this is where we find him at one of his lowest points. He has lost his children, his wealth, his health, and his reputation. His friends accuse him of hidden sin. His wife suggests he curse God and die. His body is covered with painful sores. He sits in ashes, scraping his skin with broken pottery. Yet from this pit of despair, Job makes one of Scripture's most stunning declarations of faith: "I know that my redeemer lives." Not "I hope" or "I believe" or "I've heard"—but "I know." This isn't theoretical theology or secondhand religion. This is bedrock certainty forged in the fire of suffering. Job's confidence doesn't rest on his circumstances, which are catastrophic, or his understanding, which is incomplete. It rests on the character of his Redeemer who lives even when everything else seems dead.
Job's declaration looks beyond his present suffering to ultimate vindication: "In the end he will stand on the earth." Job knows his story isn't finished. There's an "end" coming when his Redeemer will stand in judgment and justice, when truth will be revealed and wrongs will be made right. This hope isn't escapism or denial—Job fully acknowledges his present reality. But he refuses to let present suffering define ultimate reality. He insists that there's more to the story than what he's currently experiencing. "After my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God"—Job anticipates seeing God even after death, even after his body has decomposed. This is a stunning glimpse of resurrection hope centuries before Christ. Job believes that death isn't the end of his relationship with God, that his Redeemer's vindication will extend beyond the grave.
The most striking part of Job's declaration is its intensely personal nature: "I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another." Job isn't content with secondhand reports or others' testimonies. He yearns for direct, personal encounter with God. Not a vision or a dream, but face-to-face seeing with his own resurrected eyes. This isn't about doctrinal correctness or theological precision—it's about intimate relationship. "How my heart yearns within me!" Job's suffering hasn't killed his desire for God; it has intensified it. His losses haven't made him indifferent to eternity; they've sharpened his longing for the day when he'll see his Redeemer face to face. This yearning keeps him anchored when everything else has been swept away.
Job's faith speaks powerfully to us when we face suffering that makes no sense, losses that feel unbearable, or circumstances that seem to contradict everything we believe about God's goodness. In those moments, we're invited to join Job in declaring what we know rather than what we feel, what's ultimately true rather than what's immediately visible. Our Redeemer lives. There is an end coming when He will stand and make all things right. Death isn't the final word. We will see Him with our own eyes. And this hope—not the absence of suffering but the presence of a living Redeemer who promises vindication beyond the grave—is what enables us to endure when life falls apart. Job teaches us that the deepest faith isn't found in prosperity but in the ability to declare "I know my Redeemer lives" when everything else has died.
PRAYER: Oh God, Our Redeemer who lives, when suffering makes no sense and losses feel unbearable, anchor us in the certainty that You live, that our story isn't finished, and that we will one day see You face to face with our own eyes—in Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: When you face suffering or loss this week, practice declaring aloud "I know my Redeemer lives" as an act of faith, anchoring yourself not in circumstances but in the living presence of the One who promises ultimate vindication.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God, and you matter to me, and to many others. Use your smile, wit, joy and peace to share with others, especially those who need it most.
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
**Hear the song mentioned above, "Heaven Came Down" by clicking on this link: https://bit.ly/438QelK
And a Christmas idea for the hard-to-please person on your list! https://amzn.to/498mmK5
