Restoration and Hope

August 29

Job 40-42

Psalm 98:4-9

Proverbs 21:16-17

Galatians 4

Restoration and Hope

“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions. So, the Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the first. Job lived 140 years after this and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. Then Job died, old and full of days.”

Job 42:10,12,16 HCSB

Life is unpredictable. Job’s life was going along just fine and then he was blindsided by pain and heartache. Sometimes our pain and suffering are a consequence of our poor choices or sin. Sometimes it is a result of the sin and bad choices of someone else. But sometimes, it is no one’s fault. A tragic accident kills someone you love, a bad economy causes you financial problems, an illness strikes out of the blue, or you lose your job because your company had to downsize. In those times, it is very difficult to see God’s hand at work. Like Job, we may be tempted to wallow in our pain and grief and even question why God would allow these things to happen to us. I’m so glad the Bible is not full of stories about how the people of God were perfect and always did everything they were supposed to do. I’m glad we get to see how they reacted to life. We get to see that they are real people just like us with real emotions, real fears, real joys, and real weaknesses. Job did not react to losing everything he had and then becoming very sick by rejoicing and praising God for his troubles. That would be ridiculous. Job reacted in just the way that is reasonable and expected. He cried and mourned and asked God why. But Job did not cross the line. He knew who God was and he feared God. He remained faithful even in his suffering. His wife suggested that he curse God and die, but he did not do that. When God confronted Job, he was humble and repented. And then God restored him completely.

God responds to humble and grateful hearts. Restoration might not always be immediate. Depending on the circumstance, restoration may take a long time. A financial failure, a marriage infidelity resulting in divorce, an addiction that leads to public humiliation, a wayward child, or a broken relationship all can leave us in the pit of despair like Job. At the time, it is hard to imagine a time when we will ever feel good again. Whether we caused the pain or are just suffering the consequences, it is hard to feel hopeful. And yet, our God is the God of hope. He brings beauty out of ashes and joy out of sorrow. If we turn to Him in our darkest moments instead of becoming cynical and bitter, He will restore us. He has good plans for us. He desires good for us. He is our loving Father who wants us to be happy and to live in peace. He may discipline us for a season, but His plan is always to bring about complete restoration. During the seasons of pain and sorrow, we can experience a depth of intimacy with Him that is not possible any other way. Like Job, we will be able to say, “My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.” Job 42:5 (NIV) We may have head knowledge about God, but it is in seasons of difficulty and sorrow that we can experience the depth of His love and mercy.