Job’s End

Call to Prayer

Title: Job’s End

By: Daniel Peter

Date: 29.01.2024

 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.  James 5:11 NKJV

When James was encouraging the church to suffer patiently, he mentioned that they should consider Job and the end God intended. For many years I have pondered on the end of Job and why he was used as an encouragement to those enduring suffering, and for as long as as I pondered on him, I couldn’t make sense of why receiving twice as much as he had is an encouragement to suffer what he did.

Now, before the trials of Job, he was already the richest man in the East (Job 1:3). This means he had no care for things. If doubling of his wealth came at the cost of the lives of his children and empire, I don’t think it was a fair trade. Therefore, when James said we should consider the end God intended for Job, he was not referring to the financial gain or the number of children he had later. So what end did God intend?

The process of becoming like Christ is painful, as apart from the word of God and prayer, enduring trials are one of the ways His perfection is formed in us (See James 1:2-3). Many times, the trials He takes us through are not necessarily because we are sinners, but because He has chosen us to manifest His glory (to reveal Jesus). To encourage us to see that God allows the righteous to suffer, the story of Job was told. Without this revelation, we may be found among those who think that serving the Lord has not benefit as some stated in Malachi 3:13- 15.

By what he endured, Job became a voice of hope to many generations, an evidence that God takes people through the fire (even the righteous). As we yield to God and endure patiently till the end, our stories will also be used to encourage others. The end God intended for Job was that He would use him as an example of the process involved in the formation of Christ in a man; as a light to help people see Him in darkness.

Prayer Point:

Let’s thank God for His word today. Let’s ask Him to help us persevere during trials.