God restores Job: Job 42:10-17

"The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold." (Job 42:10)

Here the story ends, "The LORD restored Job". Job had endured much from the Lord, yet in the end, God restored it all to Job, even twofold. James puts it like this, "You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful." (James 5:11) God never promises that our lives would be void of difficulty, suffering, and trials. But God does promise that, in everything, He is working for our good. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) A few months ago, someone asked me, "what's the meaning of the Book of Job?" To me, the Book of Job tells us that, even though we may experience times of great difficulty in our lives, in the end, God will make all things right. In the end we will see that, God is just and God is good.

One final thought, notice that it says that God restored Job's fortunes "when he prayed for his friends." Life is too short to hold onto grudges and hurts from the past. While there have been times when, during my own times of trouble, I have been hurt by the words of a friend, I've found that to hold onto ill will and unforgiveness towards them accomplishes nothing and only makes matters worse. The truth is that, at times, I myself have been just as insensitive and hurtful as they have. It reminds me of what King Solomon said, "Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others."(Ecclesiastes 7:21-22) No one is perfect, save God. Its time for us to forgive those who have hurt us. By forgiving others, we open the door to God to move in our lives and to restore what the enemy has taken. In the end, God will make all things right, not man. Let us hope in God, forgive each other, and live by faith.

David Robison