Good Advice – The Presidential Prayer Team

Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his payment. – Job 15:31

Today’s verse is found in Eliphaz’s discourse. As you probably know, Eliphaz was one of Job’s friends who accused Job of sinning and bringing all his trials upon himself. However, it turns out that Eliphaz had to make sacrifices, and Job had to pray for God to forgive Eliphaz for advice that was not from God (Job 42:4-9). This begs the question, is Job 15:31 advice to be trusted, since it was given by a man who was sinning by saying it?

A related verse is found in Ecclesiastes when the preacher says, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanities” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). He expounds on this theme for twelve chapters with the conclusion, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

From Psalms, you may have sung this chorus, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7). Though Eliphaz implied that Job was getting his just desserts for trusting in emptiness, which was not true, his advice to trust in God and not in empty things of the world is good.

Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). In other words, keep your priorities straight and place your relationship with God above all else. As you pray for the nation today, pray for hearts to turn to the Lord, trusting in Him and not in the things of the world.

Today’s Verse: Job 15:31

Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself,
    for emptiness will be his payment.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Matthew 6:25-34

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.