Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
Job's question concerns the hypocrite or wicked person, asking whether such a one will truly delight in the Almighty and call upon God continually. The expected answer exposes the hypocrite, who will not keep calling upon God continually. He may cry out to God when trouble comes, yet he does not delight in God or call upon Him continually.
Genuine devotion is marked by joy in God and ongoing prayer. True prayer is more than an occasional appeal in distress, reflecting a lasting love for God and a habit of seeking Him. Praying to God is to be distinguished from delighting in Him, since an almost Christian may pray and may teach and hear, yet lack love and take no pleasure in God. Delight in God comes from a fitting relation between the heart and God and from possessing and desiring Him, while a carnal heart lacks this fitness and desire, and true delight in God is an exercise of grace.
Regular prayer in the family is the practical test, proving whether a man delights in the Almighty and calls upon Him always. Neglect of family worship exposes lack of heart and an unrenewed life as its real cause, since a man who is not converted finds it hard to pretend religion when alone and cannot bear to do so under the close watch of children and servants. Claims like those of Job's friends about suffering cannot be used to judge a sufferer's standing with God.
Job's question concerns the hypocrite or wicked person, asking whether such a one will truly delight in the Almighty and call upon God continually. The expected answer exposes the hypocrite, who will not keep calling upon God continually. He may cry out to God when trouble comes, yet he does not delight in God or call upon Him continually.
Genuine devotion is marked by joy in God and ongoing prayer. True prayer is more than an occasional appeal in distress, reflecting a lasting love for God and a habit of seeking Him. Praying to God is to be distinguished from delighting in Him, since an almost Christian may pray and may teach and hear, yet lack love and take no pleasure in God. Delight in God comes from a fitting relation between the heart and God and from possessing and desiring Him, while a carnal heart lacks this fitness and desire, and true delight in God is an exercise of grace.
Regular prayer in the family is the practical test, proving whether a man delights in the Almighty and calls upon Him always. Neglect of family worship exposes lack of heart and an unrenewed life as its real cause, since a man who is not converted finds it hard to pretend religion when alone and cannot bear to do so under the close watch of children and servants. Claims like those of Job's friends about suffering cannot be used to judge a sufferer's standing with God.