Day 30 – Chapter 31

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? And what is the portion of God from above or the heritage of the Almighty from on high? Is it not calamity to the unjust and disaster to those who work iniquity? Does He not see my ways and number all my steps? If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hastened after deceit, let Him weigh me with accurate scales, and let God know my integrity. If my step has turned from the way, or my heart followed my eyes, or if any spot has stuck to my hands, let me sow and another eat, and let my crops be uprooted” (31:1-8).

In this chapter Job asserts that which is most lacking in many people today, his integrity. It is not a common word in our conversations any longer but it is an important element that no Christian should be without. To understand the notion of integrity one has to understand it’s meaning. Integrity is “the quality or state of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty, and sincerity” (yourdictionary.com). Everyday our moral principles are systematically being tested with the end goal of enticing us to compromise. It is hard to get away from because so much of our daily life is filled with compromise. But our integrity demands more.

The psalmist tells us that God upholds us because of our integrity (Psalm 41:12), integrity and uprightness preserves us (Psalm 25:21), we should walk in integrity (Psalm 26:1, 11), we are judged according to the integrity in us (Psalm 7:8), those who walk in integrity walk securely (Psalm 10:9), and it is the integrity of the upright that guides them (Psalm 11:3). The only place the word ‘integrity’ is used in the entirety of the New Testament is in the Book of Titus. Paul writes, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us” (Titus 2:7-8).

It is not easy to maintain one’s integrity, to be consistently seen as a person of sound moral principal, but without one’s integrity what do they have? There will always be things to test one’s integrity. One must be careful because many of the tests will be in the small things. It is relatively easy for most to avoid the big-ticket items, but where one is most prone to get caught is in the little things. The little things are dangerous because they quickly become habitual and because they are the ones that cumulatively do great damage. Remember the words of wise King Solomon, “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes who are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom” Song of Solomon 2:15). Today make a special effort to protect your integrity.

Dear Lord, we are more often guilty of compromise than we want to admit. We have told ourselves that the little compromises do not matter because they are insignificant, but in the process we have wounded our integrity. Help us today to hold our personal integrity in high esteem and give us the ability to protect it at all costs. Give us special discernment so we will not be blindsided by the enemy of our souls or his agents charged with seducing us out of our integrity. Regardless of the cost, strengthen us to be people of integrity today. Amen.