Iniquity, or Integrity?

Based on Job 30-31, Acts 13:26-52

"Upon my right hand rise the youth; They push away my feet, And they raise up against me the ways of their destruction. They mar my path, They set forward my calamity, They have no helper." Job 30:12‭-‬13

Sometimes, every arrow is pointing at us. While we should examine our hearts to see what we can do to improve, sometimes, it's just one unfortunate thing after another that is out of our control. In Job's case, he was right with God, even though circumstances told his friends there might be something wrong about him. They blamed him and said he should be examining himself to figure out what he did wrong...but Job has been living that lifestyle of integrity all along! That doesn't mean he was perfect, but he was constantly keeping himself in check with God. So, his friends were working out of their own iniquity. They needed to be better in check with God and live a life of integrity!

"Is not destruction to the wicked? And a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways, And count all my steps? If I have walked with vanity, Or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity." Job 31:3‭-‬6

Job is well aware that punishment is deserved if we've done something wrong in iniquity, and he is also prepared to be tried to prove his integrity. Although he is suffering, he knows through examination of his life that this is a trial of his integrity, although his friends would like to convince him that all this has happened because of his iniquities. It's in the discouragement that we need to run to God and find encouragement! We can't sink into a depression because of the words of others. We need to rise up in our Spiritual integrity and not lose it!

"For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Acts 13:47‭-‬48

These Jews which were mentioned here turned away from the message of Truth the disciples were bringing them. Instead of letting their integrity in The Lord lead them to complete their Truth, iniquities allowed for them to stay back, only accepting the old ways, and not stepping up to that higher calling. So, the Gentiles (non-Jews), were overjoyed to hear that this message was for them too. Many of their hearts were excited and ready to accept the Truth! That's how our hearts must always be toward God to keep our integrity, and not fall into iniquity!