July 31, 2026
BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS
Daily Bible Reading: 
Job 35
God Is Above Our Understanding
Our Actions Do Not Change God – but They Change Us
Read online here
Introduction
Elihu continues his speech and once again addresses statements made by Job. He wants to make it clear that God is not dependent upon human behavior and that God’s silence does not mean that He acts unjustly. Job chapter 35 challenges us to acknowledge God’s greatness and not to judge Him by human standards.
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Commentary
Elihu begins with a question for Job: Do you truly believe that your righteousness is greater than God’s? He takes up Job’s complaint that godliness appears to bring no advantage when the righteous suffer just as the wicked do.
To answer this, Elihu directs Job’s attention toward heaven. He urges him to look at the clouds and the vast sky. God’s greatness infinitely surpasses humanity. Neither human sin nor human righteousness changes God’s nature or His perfection.
This does not mean, however, that our behavior is meaningless. Our decisions affect other people and our own lives. Those who live righteously bring blessing to those around them. Those who do wrong cause harm to others. God remains the same, but human beings still bear responsibility for their actions.
Elihu also speaks about people who cry out to God in their distress. They often seek help without truly seeking God Himself. They desire deliverance from suffering, but not necessarily a deeper relationship with their Creator. For this reason, some prayers remain unanswered because they do not arise from a trusting heart.
At the same time, Elihu reminds Job that God overlooks no one. Even when His answer seems delayed, His silence does not mean that He is indifferent. Human beings must learn to wait patiently and trust in God’s timing.
As in the previous chapters, Elihu’s speech contains valuable thoughts about God’s greatness and independence. Yet he, too, does not fully understand Job’s unique situation. Job’s suffering is not the result of a wrong attitude of heart, but part of a greater divine plan that remains hidden from Elihu.
Job chapter 35 invites us not to judge God according to the immediate benefits of our faith. True godliness grows out of love and trust in God, not from the expectation that every good deed will receive an immediate and visible reward.
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Summary
Job 35 emphasizes God’s greatness and independence from humanity. Elihu explains that human righteousness or sin does not change God’s nature, although it does influence the lives of human beings. He calls us not to seek God only in times of distress, but to follow Him with patience and trust.
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Message for Us Today
Our faith is not an achievement through which we can make God indebted to us or earn something from Him. God remains the same—holy, righteous, and perfect. Yet the closer we draw to Him, the more He transforms our hearts. Therefore, we should not seek God only when we need help, but because He Himself is the highest good of our lives.
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Thought for Reflection
Do I seek God only because of His gifts—or because I want to know Him personally and trust Him with all my heart?
