Job 42:16-17
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
I love these transitional words or phrases that we find in the Bible. We read words such as, therefore, because, the next day, or as in today’s Scripture, after this. It is a note to us that we need to search what just preceded. In this case, it was the way God blessed Job after his terrible ordeal.
When I recently visited with my sister-in-law, she brought me up to date on some of the friends I had known in days gone by. It was a shock to hear that age had not been kind to many of them. Living a long life may be a terrible ordeal if a person has lost their health or mental faculties. It is quite common to hear people pray for long life and even make God promises if they are given extended years. It makes me shudder when people try to make deals with the Lord. I will trust in Him to give me the number of days that He has prepared for me to serve Him.
In the book of Job, we see suffering at a level that boggles the mind. Those of us who read the book know that God and Satan have differing views on the integrity of this righteous man named Job. If Job had crumbled under the pressure of his terrible ordeal, Satan would have claimed victory. Job knew enough about his God to rely on Him. His world had crumbled around him and there was no one to give him comfort. His friends became as much a part of his pain as the boils that covered him from head to toe. But in the end, Job prayed for his friends. What love!
Then it happens! After this God restored Job and made him an effective servant for the next 140 years. Wow! That is a long time to be blessed by the Lord and in turn to be a blessing to others. Short or long, I want to live that kind of life!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil