| "So the LORD blessed the
latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six
thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses." (Job
42:12). "There was a man in the
land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared
God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His
substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke
of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the
greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every
one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and
sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according
to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed
God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually." (Job 1:1-5).
Was it at that time the in thing that people would curse God? That
was the devil's intent with Job that he would eventually curse God and so God would strike
him and remove His blessing from him. We also read that Job feared that his children might
curse God in their hearts, being tempted in the midst of their joys and feasting and sin
against God. Job's wife came with the same thing when they had lost everything, that she
suggested that he should "curse God and die".
How do people sin against God today? How are people tempted today?
What is the problem in our nation? Young people die in their droves. A curse doesn't just
come without cause. If we live a cursed life then a curse come upon us. If we, by our
doing reject God and His laws, then we bring a curse upon ourselves.
One of the curses we live under, although not the only one, is
that family life is broken and not as God ordained it. Children are born outside of
marriage because of fornication that is rife.
One just has to look in the streets to see what the generation of
Eve looks like. It is enough to realise we live under the curse of immorality, looseness
and lust. Our nation is living a cursed life and so we receive a curse from heaven because
of that.
Job made a covenant with his eyes that he will not look at a
maiden, a young girl.
Maybe you have even done more to a girl that looking and lusting,
but you have even raped a girl, spoiled her virginity and brought God's wrath and curse
upon your life. Unless you repent your whole life will continue to be cursed.
The devil wanted Job to sin and curse God. So the devil asked
leave of God to do Job much hurt. Job lost all his possessions, his children and his
health.
"So went Satan forth from the presence
of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And
he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then
said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he
said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive
good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with
his lips." (Job 2:7-10).
What a wonderful testimony! In all he did not sin with his lips.
Let's look at our lives. This past week through what we spoke, are
our lips still pure and clean?
His friends came to him and spoke according to their own religious
opinions. They knew God to a degree. But they were not in touch with God and could not
speak God's word to him but only what was in their own hearts. They could not discern
God's heart in the situation. They accused Job of having sinned, and so Job defended his
innocence. Job stumbled in what he spoke, because of how they approached him. He didn't
curse God as satan had hoped, but Job questioned God's justice and integrity. He couldn't
understand how God could've allowed it to happen. Eventually God appeared to Job in a
storm, and rebuked him, and then Job repented of the wrong he had spoken.
"Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I
understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I
will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the
hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in
dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-6).
Job went through all this tribulation clinging to God, until his
life was blessed double to what his life was before. God rebuked Job's three friends for
what they had inappropriately spoken and Job had to pray for them that God would forgive
them.
"Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent
in dust and ashes. And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the
LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two
friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and
offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him
will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the
thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite
and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD
also accepted Job. And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his
friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." (Job
42:6-10).
God richly blessed Job's latter end.
"Then came there unto him all his
brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and
did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the
evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and
every one an earring of gold. So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his
beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand
yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he
called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of
the third, Keren-happuch. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters
of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. After this lived Job
an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four
generations." (Job 42:11-16).
Doesn't this give you hope for a bright future. Don't you realise
that the life you've lived thus far is not the real life God has for you. See what the
Lord did for Job as he remained faithful! Job had every worldly reason to turn his back on
God, but clung to the Lord, and the Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than
the first.
Maybe you are tired of life, but cling to the Lord. Spiritually
you can live a life where you experience that you are drowning in the blessings of God -
that it becomes even too much to take in all the blessings He pours on you.
God gives you as much earthly riches as is good for you.
Where do you find yourself in your life? As a young person you
might think you still have your whole life in front of you. But you might be mistaken. You
don't know when you will die. You might even be living in your last days.
Job had a blessed end, because he did not turn away from God when
things were difficult. Yes he had questions, but he didn't turn his back on God.
We should also not overlook that the first part of his life was
also blessed. He was blessed with earthly possessions. But the real blessing in his life
was that amidst all the earthly blessings he feared God and lived a blameless life. He
couldn't forget God and His requirements for man, because He feared the Lord.
How is it with us when it goes well? Do our blessings draw us
closer to the Lord and lower at His feet?
It is never too early to serve the Lord. At school you're already
laying a foundation. Don't wait for the difficulties to come before you seek the Lord.
Seek Him while it still goes well with you.
At a certain service many people went forward and gave their
testimonies of how God had saved them from the mire. Then an elderly man went forward and
shared how he turned to Christ as a young boy and served and loved the Lord fully till
that day. He shared how God has kept His hand upon him. Everyone was moved. God's Spirit
was upon him. Such a testimony is wonderful.
"Remember now thy Creator in the days
of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when you shall say, I
have no pleasure in them;" (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
Maybe you have already started to experience the "days you
have no pleasure in".
Difficulty doesn't necessarily come because of sin. In the life of
a Christian difficulties get rid of the dross, and draw us closer to the Lord. Spend time
with God, let Him reveal His secrets to you. Remove those things that are a hindrance in
your walk with Him. Even Job's difficulty changed him for the better, where he
acknowledged "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eyes have
seen Thee".
Think of Job and other saints who have persevered when God allowed
difficulties to cross their path.
There are many of God's children who can testify that they were
struggeling for years, and at last God gave them progress to taste the life God has for
His children.
"God blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the
first".
He again had ten children. The Bible records that his daughters
were more beautiful than all the girls of his time. When the Bible calls a girl beautiful
then she is truly beautiful. The beauty is inside of her. She has a clean heart, and the
beauty radiates. She doesn't need to paint herself like the world does, but God's beauty
radiates from her.
"Whose adorning let it not be that
outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of
apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price." (1 Peter 3:3-4).
Your latter part can be as blessed as Job's. When he died he
received the true blessings of eternity.
Yes God can bless you richly while on this earth, but it is just
for a moment. The true latter part of blessedness is in eternity.
"But as it is written, eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Maybe you enjoy your life now, the pleasures of this world, but
think of the latter part - here on earth and after death. Your latter part on this earth
might even be AIDS, where you wish that you were never born.
Be wise and count your days.
Moses wrote, "So teach us to number our
days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (Psalm 90:12).
The true latter part is still to come. Will you be there to
receive it?
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