December 13, 2019
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, I greet and bless everyone in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessed word that God has given for you today, is from the book of Job 30:26, “Yet when I hoped for good, evil came. When I looked for light then darkness came.”
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, from the above passage we do understand that Job being an upright man and was blameless, one who feared God and shunned evil. Such a man who was righteous before God expected good things to happen in his life. He knew that God is good and does well especially to His children. God has laid up goodness for them that fear Him. He believed that God has promised good things unto them both temporal and spiritual for godliness and godly men during this life and that which is to come. But Job was disappointed in his expectation for he says, “I hoped for good, but evil came. When I looked for light then darkness came.”
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we all know that evil came upon Job one after another. Even when in the height of his prosperity and because of repeated evil new afflictions came upon him by the order and direction of God. The Light of outward prosperity, such as he had earlier enjoyed had dwindled off. He had almost sought after and longed for the Light to continue in his life. He waited as any good men would want to be. Since Light is sown for them in the purposes and decrees of God. And hence one should wait for the springing of it up as the husbandman would wait for the springing up of the corn sown in the earth, and seeing that to the upright there arises light in the darkness. And though God hides His face from them, for a moment, he will have mercy on them and therefore should wait his time to be gracious to them. But Job waited for long time to no purpose.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, but the darkness of adversity, still thicker and darker and with no appearance of spiritual light and favour fell upon Job, that he could not discover the love of God to him. Job though disappointed still continued to exercise his complete faith upon God. Such that he never, ever sinned or charged God with wrong. The Bible says, in all this Job did not sin with his lips. His friends criticised him, even his wife rebuked him but he never faltered. He said, “Though He slay me yet, will I trust Him.” As a result God exalted him. The Lord restored Job’s losses, as he prayed for his friends and the Lord blessed the later days of Job more than his beginning. Job lived 140 years and saw his children and grand children for four generation. This is how God blesses those who put their trust in God.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, how about you ? Have you fixed your eyes upon God or is your faith on earthly people. The Bible says, It is better to trust in the Lord, Than to put confidence in man. On whom have you put your trust?
If you endure tribulation and count it all joy, when you fall into various trials then God will turn your curse into a blessing as God blessed Job. For God raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes. With the princes of His people. Similarly the Lord will lift you up and when you commit your ways to the Lord and Trust also in Him He shall bring it to pass. Put your trust in Jesus. God bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank you for this blessed day. Lord teach us to have adamant faith in God as Job did. May we apply his good nature in our life. Help us to bear our trials and afflictions with utmost patience. Thank you Lord for setting up Job as an example of endurance and longsuffering for us to follow in our life. Bless us Lord, as you blessed Job.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
