Job 25

The Enforcer? Or the Ever-Faithful Father?

God is powerful and dreadful. He enforces peace in the heavens. ~ Job 25:6

This is where many people still stand today, seeing God as distant, strict, or even angry. It’s an image shaped by misunderstanding, fear, and, sometimes, religious tradition. Some think of Him as the divine “Enforcer,” ready to punish anyone who steps out of line. Even believers can fall into this mindset, feeling unsure of His affection and hesitant to draw near.

But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The clearest evidence of God’s heart is the cross. God sent His only Son, not because He had to, but because He wanted to. He wanted us with Him forever. Jesus didn’t come to condemn, but to rescue. He willingly suffered so we wouldn’t have to be separated from God. That’s not the act of a harsh judge, it’s the heart of a loving Father.

Yes, God is holy. Yes, He is powerful. But He is also kind, compassionate, patient, and deeply invested in our lives. His laws were not born out of anger but out of a desire to protect us from the self-destruction of sin until the fullness of redemption came through the Lord Jesus.

I remember a season in my life when I felt too broken to be lovable. I believed in God’s love in theory, but I didn’t feel it personally. Shame clouded my connection with Him. One day, John 3:16, a passage so familiar since my childhood, pierced through that shame like a spotlight:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
That moment was transformative. It wasn’t about me earning love, it was about Him choosing to give it.  It had nothing to do with who I was and everything to do with Who He is, my loving Father who did whatever it took to get me back.  He has done the same thing for you too.

Here are some powerful scriptures that reveal God’s goodness and His heart toward you:

• Psalm 34:8 – “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”
• Exodus 34:6 – “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
• Romans 2:4 – “God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.”
• James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…”
• Nahum 1:7 – “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”
• Lamentations 3:22-23 – “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning…”
• Psalm 145:9 – “The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.”

You can begin to believe and apply this in your life today by follow the suggestions below:

• Start your day with a verse about God’s goodness. Write it somewhere you’ll see it often.
• Speak truth over yourself out loud. Say things like, “God is kind toward me,” or “I am loved because of who He is.”
• Reject guilt-based thinking. God doesn’t use shame to draw you in. Guilt and shame repels.  Instead, He uses grace and truth.
• Be kind to yourself in the way you think, speak, and treat yourself. You’re His child and He wants you to live in that identity.

Today I want to encourage you to recognize that Job’s friend Bildad got one thing right, God is powerful. But he missed the deeper truth: God’s power works through love, not fear. He enforces peace not with iron fists, but with open arms, through the Prince of Peace, our Savior, Jesus. You don’t have to be afraid of Him. You were created to know Him, enjoy Him, and trust Him, because He is your good, good Father.

You are not worthless. You are not a maggot. You are God’s most precious creation, made in His image, redeemed by His blood, and loved with an everlasting love. Step into your identity as His beloved child, today and live from that place of freedom and grace.

Today’s scripture reading: Job 25

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

2 “God is powerful and dreadful. He enforces peace in the heavens.

3 Who is able to count his heavenly army? Doesn’t His light shine on all the earth?

4 How can a mortal be innocent before God? Can anyone born of a woman be pure?

5 God is more glorious than the moon; He shines brighter than the stars.

6 In comparison, people are maggots; we mortals are mere worms.”

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Journal Prompt:

• In what areas of your life do you still see God as a strict enforcer rather than a loving Father?
• What scriptures about His goodness speak to your heart today?
• Write them down and ask the Lord to help you live out of the truth of His kindness.