Job 15:34

For the assembly of the godless is left desolate,

   Fire devours the tents of the corrupt.

 

Last night, I got to witness a young man profess his faith to a crowded room. I was sitting next to his parents who I taught in Sunday School oh so many years ago. I told the young man I was proud of him although I didn’t spend much time with him over the years and really had no call to be proud other than being brothers in Christ. It was a great evening because it was mostly about water polo and my girls have gotten a lot from their involvement.

I did not spend much time on this verse as after reading them I simply went with my favorite source simply removing an ‘and’. But ‘assembly’ was also ‘company’, ‘crowd’, ‘congregation’, and ‘throng’. ‘Godless’ was also ‘hypocrites’, ‘impious’, and ‘tainted’. ‘Desolate’ was also ‘barren’.

‘Devours’ was also ‘consumed’ and ‘wasted’. ‘Tents’ was also ‘tabernacles’ and ‘homes’. ‘Corrupt’ was also ‘bribers’, ‘bribe takers’, and ‘lovers of bribery’.

I think there were nineteen speeches last night, and I as much as I was in the mood to listen to them all, they were high school seniors and some were not quite powerful speakers. As a Christian, my favorite parts were the references to Jesus or God. Many spoke to the younger kids about treasuring the years as they blow by. But one girl said to remember that they blow by and not worry about all the little things, to be yourself. Someone said to treasure those who treasure you for who you are.

As my mom did for me as a kid, I have encouraged my girls to be good examples. But my wife has gone further and taught them to reach out to those around them. Both have done more for their friends than I would have thought to do for mine at their ages. But for the most part, I would have guessed the audience to be full of the godless who only have a desolate future before them.

Hopefully the audience was not full of the corrupt, but in general, the lost are all around. I found my youngest being bored by a movie targeted to people my age with the background to get the jokes. It was an action comedy, and she likes those in general, but not this one. Having just seen the new Captain America movie, it seems that there is still room for movies that target an audience and do not try to please everyone. I guess the trick these days is to make a movie that doesn’t offend everyone. A great movie might not offend anyone, but that might be a bridge too far.

So, to wrap this all up, I would like to suggest we target our efforts to please an audience of one and make sure that audience is Jesus. Since He went to all the trouble to die for me, the least I could do is live for Him.

 

Written 2/19/25, Posted 6/24/25, Job 374