“After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.”
Job 42:16-17
Remember the story of Job in the Bible? Initially, Job seemed to truly be living the “abundant life.” He was wealthy and blessed in every sense of the word. But then he lost nearly everything. We read about the misery of it for 40-some chapters until the closing verse of Job which says, “And so he died, old and full of years.” If had God given Job what he wanted, that never would have happened.
“What Job did not know, but God did, is that this dark night of the soul would eventually end with the rays of hope peeking over the horizon…. God did for Job … as He has done for so many of us: He did not give us what we wanted; He gave us what He wanted for us. What our Father wants for us is to believe that no matter how black the current darkness, ‘the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us’ (Romans 8:18)” (Chad Bird, 2024).
We learn that tears and smiles can coexist in the seasons of our pain and grief because God carries us along in our lives on the abundance of His mercy and grace.
“What Job did not know, but God did, is that this dark night of the soul would eventually end with the rays of hope peeking over the horizon…. God did for Job … as He has done for so many of us: He did not give us what we wanted; He gave us what He wanted for us. What our Father wants for us is to believe that no matter how black the current darkness, ‘the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us’ (Romans 8:18)” (Chad Bird, 2024).
We learn that tears and smiles can coexist in the seasons of our pain and grief because God carries us along in our lives on the abundance of His mercy and grace.
Scripture Focus
Job 42:7-17
Insight
Trust that God is abundantly good and that “we who are, as Job says, but ‘dust and ashes’ (42:6; 30:19), are nonetheless His beloved children” (Chad Bird, 2024).
Bible In A Year
- Jeremiah 35-36
- Psalm 119:121-176
- 1 Corinthians 13