JOB 19:25-27: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” NKJV
OBSERVATION: When you are facing a challenge that is greater than yourself, when you feel like you are all alone and no one understands, and when you are at the point of breaking and feel like giving up…
HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH!
The book of Job teaches us so many things about life. It teaches us about perseverance through a prolonged struggle. It teaches us the need to show compassion to those who are suffering. It teaches us how easy it is to misunderstand one another when we are pressed beyond measure.
And, it teaches us the importance of faith.
As we read and meditate on the book of Job, it is important to remember the perspective that the cross of Jesus Christ brings to this monumental story.
- “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand…My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 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 5:7-8, 10-11 NKJV
Job, after all that his friends said about him, and in the midst of all the misunderstandings he had regarding the nature of God (which would be corrected in the end) – Job was a man of faith. And, this faith enabled him to persevere in the midst of his great trial. At times it appeared that Job had lost his faith and forsaken all hope. He wished that he had never been born. He endured the miserable comfort of his so-called friends. Yet, Job held onto his faith. And, in one of his darkest and loneliest moments, Job proclaimed –
- “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, faith in His return, faith in the glorious hope of the resurrection, will carry us through any trial that we face.
I have witnessed the lives of those who have been swallowed up by grief. It appeared that they would never recover. Hope seemed eternally lost. Then, something miraculous takes place. Their faith lifts them, restores them, and propels them forward. Their deep despair is turned into a glowing testimony of life and hope. True, their personal sorrow, and a deep longing for the one they lost, still remains. Yet, there is something greater than these that lifts them up to soar once again. That is their faith!
- When you find your selves in the midst of a great trial – HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH!
- When the answer just does not seem to come – HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH!
- When your vision seems to die and the door seems to close – HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH!
- When even friends and loved ones do not understand, or they distance themselves from you because they no longer know what to say – HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH!
Like Job, you too will be sustained and restored. Your day of resurrection will come from the Lord. Hope will spring up eternal once again. Vision will be clarified, breathed upon by the Holy Spirit, and restored. Your Redeemer lives and He has not forgotten you!
Remember Job! Remember his perseverance in faith. Remember the end of his trial intended by the Lord – “…that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:11 NKJV). And, most of all, remember to…
HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH!
In Jesus Name!
