Job was a man close to God’s heart. God was proud of His child, Job. 

Job had four outstanding qualities. He was a good and sincere man and had respect for God. And he avoided evil. The Bible says: “He refused to do evil.” 

Regarding evil or sin, he consciously fought against it. He refused to take the wrong turns. That’s probably why the devil said yes so quickly when God asked the devil if he had noticed Job. 

For sure the devil noticed him, because he couldn’t influence Job. Job refused to give in to the temptations of the devil. Time and time again the devil had to turn back from losing the battle with Job. 

Job was not a special being. He also had a sinful nature, but he actively resisted it. He knew there were some flaws in his life, but he did not ignore them. He consciously made plans not to step into the trap or chase after wrong things. 

This could be a good example for us. We must realise we’ve been damaged by the fall and are continually going astray. The devil doesn’t leave us alone and constantly sets traps to catch us. 

We should expect these traps. We must be on the lookout for them and when we see them in our lives, we must use all our knowledge and strength to avoid them. Maybe one day God will boast to the devil about us too. 

That is why we must take this instruction seriously: 11Snub evil and cultivate good ... 

Use the energy you would’ve used to take the wrong turns in life and apply it in good places. Instead, look for places where you can make a difference. When you use your energy for good deeds, you may be too tired to go down the wrong path. 

Just as you must consciously fight against the force of sin, you must also use your energy for good deeds. As the saying goes, idle hands are the devil’s workshop. 

So, if you’re just going to lie around and do nothing, the devil will try even harder to mess with your head, and then, if you’re not busy doing good, chances are that he might succeed. 

Let’s all take this seriously. Like a piece of iron is attracted by a magnet, we are attracted to sin. Let us instead use this energy to do good and make a difference in other people’s lives, and in that way make the world a better place. 

Scripture
1 Peter 3:8-12

Reflection
What sin is tripping you up?
How can you sidestep sin?
Where can you do good? 

Prayer
Father, help me not to step into the trap of sin. Rather show me where I can do good. I ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.