June 7, 2020
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 42:10 The Lord Restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave twice as much as he had before.”
From the above context we see how Job is accused by his friends and God was displeased with them, so Job prayed for his friends. Since he prayed for them, God blessed Job in the latter part of His Life. Actually the book of Job says, that the life of Job was miserable because God allowed satan to test Jobs faith. Hence his life which was once well settled began to crumble. He gradually lost everything in life. Firstly he lost his ten children, then his cattle and then all his property and all his wealth. He lost even his health. His body was covered with sores and boils and he sat on the ash heap and was scratching his skin with dry shell. He lost all his glory. Those who initially respected him now began to humiliate him. He was thus put to shame. No one could even recognize him as Job, for his face and body was disfigured.
Some of his friends visited him and they were shocked to see his horrible condition and refused to speak rather they sat silently looking at him. They wondered if he had made some secret sins and even doubted his faithfulness to God. Even his wife could not bear to see his sufferings. When Job’s life had completely fallen apart, instead of encouraging him to faithfully endure, she said, “Do you still hold fast, to your integrity? Curse God and die!’’But Job did not heed to his wife’s advice and curse God. Instead, he said, to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not, accept adversity?’’In all this Job did not sin with his lips. He further said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job had great hope and confidence in God. For he knew that the Lord who has torn his life will heal him, and though He has stricken him He will bind his wounds.
In the beginning, we see Job’s patience being tested, but later as an encouragement, we see his happy end. His troubles began in satan’s malice, which God restrained; but his restoration began in God’s mercy, which satan could not oppose. Mercy did not return when Job was disputing with his friends, but came when he was praying for them. God is served and pleased with our warm devotions, not with our warm disputes. God doubled Job’s possessions. Whether the Lord gives us health and temporal blessings or not, if we patiently suffer according to his will, in the end we shall be happy.
Job’s estate increased, after his period of affliction. The blessing of the Lord makes rich; it is he that gives us power to get wealth, and gives success in honest endeavours. The last days of a good man sometimes prove his best, his last works his best works, his last comforts his best comforts; for his path, like that of the morning light, shines more and more unto the perfect day. And the Load turned the captivity of Job – Restored him to his former prosperity. Job was restored from his series of protracted trials to a state of prosperity. When he prayed for his friends – Or after he had prayed for his friends. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. It is not to be understood that this occurred at once – for many of these blessings were bestowed gradually.
Those of you who are reading this message may also be going through some kind of affliction like Job. And you think you don’t want to live any longer. You are not able to bear a slight pain or sorrow, not able to bear, when you fall sick or a little loss in your business or some silly complaint in your work spot. Some think of ending your life too. Do you have faith like Job, who was prepared to say boldly when he lost his ten children”’ God gave and God has taken away. Praise be to God. Don’t lose heart. You trust in God, trust in Jesus also. He will help you to overcome all your struggles successfully. Just learn to have the heart and mind of Job. God bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord help us to increase our faith in God like Job. Even though we too experience such humiliation like Job teach us to endure patiently. No matter what loss or hardship we go through, give us the strength to bear the situation patiently. May we also like Job understand that if we endure the trials and temptations, God will bless us with a double portion of blessing at the end of our trial.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
