Job 28
1“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. 2Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. 3Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness. 4Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways. 5Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire. 6Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold. 7No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it. 8Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it. 9The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base. 10He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure. 11He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light. 12But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell? 13No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. 14The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’ 15It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver. 16It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. 17Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it. 18Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. 19Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. 20From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell? 21It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air. 22Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’ 23But God understands its way, and He knows its place. 24For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. 25When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters, 26when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt, 27then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out. 28And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Life is short. Where are you going?
You just read God’s own words, and one day every one of us will stand before Him. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). This life will be over sooner than you think — do you know where you are going when it is?
The Bible says, “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you died today, would you be ready?
Are you a good person?
Most of us think we are. But God doesn’t measure us against other people — He measures us by His Law. Look honestly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17):
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness.
- You shall not covet.
Have you ever told a lie — even a small one? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever wanted what belongs to someone else? Jesus said that anyone who looks with lust “has already committed adultery … in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), and the Bible says “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
If we’re honest, we have all broken God’s Law — and “whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
That leaves every one of us guilty before a holy God. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). This is why our world is full of tragedy — and without Christ, every life ends in the greatest tragedy of all.
But God made a way
“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, and on the cross He took the punishment we deserved: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
It’s like standing guilty in court when the judge steps down and pays your fine himself. Forgiveness is a free gift — you can’t earn it: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus — John 10:10
What will you do with Jesus?
“Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). Turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus alone — “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t put it off — “now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
And when you turn to Him, you won’t be met with a frown — you’ll be met with a celebration. Jesus said, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). He is “mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness … He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Like the father who ran to embrace his lost son, He is waiting with open arms — and heaven throws a party when you come home (Luke 15:20–24).
If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Today you can be forgiven, made new, and have real, abundant life — now and forever.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.