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Double For Your Trouble…aka Chapter 42
By Janine Scott-Lowe, MD
Job 42:10,12: And the Lord TURNED THE CAPTIVITY of Job, and RESTORED his fortunes, WHEN HE PRAYED FOR HIS FRIENDS; also the Lord gave Job TWICE AS MUCH as he had before. And the Lord BLESSED the LATTER days of Job MORE than his beginning.
I woke up with this chapter on my mind one morning. I was thinking about the GOODNESS OF JESUS, and ALL THAT HE HAD DONE FOR ME. This is NOT a cliché, it is REAL because GOD IS REAL! He is such an AMAZING GOD, and CONTINUES TO AMAZE ME ALL OF THE TIME!
I’m quite sure many of you can relate with Job as I can. Your “beginning” was wonderful. God had His hand on your life, and BLESSED YOU SO ABUNDANTLY. You COULDN’T IMAGINE what more He could do, as He had ALREADY BEEN SO GOOD AND DONE SO MUCH.
But then…LIFE CAME. You looked around, and it seemed that ALL AROUND YOU WAS CRUMBLING. The things that you worked for were falling apart. Maybe your health was affected…maybe your family…maybe your finances…whatever, but all looked REALLY BAD! It seemed like all you heard was BAD NEWS, as that was all that was coming to you, left and right.
You began to QUESTION GOD…God, how is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? Why me? (whenever I asked this, His answer to me was always…why NOT you? Why JESUS? OUCH!) You repent over and over again, in case there was ANYTHING that you may not have remembered that could be causing this suffering. You held on in HOPE AND FAITH, WAITING for your circumstance to change, but NOTHING. Some times, you felt like you couldn’t hold on ANY LONGER. But, what could you do? Where would you go? You KNOW you COULDN’T GO BACK to the way you were WITHOUT Christ. You KNOW HIM TOO WELL. He has been TOO GOOD to you. All you could do was HOLD ON UNTIL YOUR CHANGE COMES. You may QUESTION GOD, and may even DOUBT HIM SOME, but you WILL NOT FORSAKE HIM and fall away!
Well, that’s where the GOOD NEWS comes in…Chapter 42! AFTER YOU HAVE ENDURED…there WILL be DOUBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLE. AFTER YOU HAVE BEEN TRIED, you WILL COME FORTH AS PURE GOLD. AFTER THE TEARS, COMES THE JOY! AFTER THE CROSS, COMES THE CROWN. Even the world knows this fact…you’ve heard it…NO PAIN, NO GAIN!
As you have ENDURED your MANY tests and trials, you shall SURELY GAIN. If it were not so, it wouldn’t be in God’s Word. Look at what Job GOT IN THE END. He received TWICE as many material possessions (animals); he bore exactly the SAME amount of children as he had before the testing; AND, when he was comforted by those who came to him after his suffering, THEY even brought him a piece of money, and an earring of gold. Job made out PRETTY WELL…don’t you think?
Even BEYOND the MATERIAL BLESSINGS is the SPIRITUAL LESSON that Job learned. Look at Job 42:5. Here, Job says that he had HEARD of God only [before then], but NOW he had SEEN HIM FOR HIMSELF. There is NOTHING like going through your OWN trials that MAKES you come to KNOW the Lord FOR YOURSELF. You DON’T have to live vicariously through ANOTHER’S testimony, you get one FOR YOURSELF. As I like to say…it is NO LONGER YOUR FATHER’S RELIGION, but YOUR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD!!!
JUST BE ENCOURAGED! As was always impressed upon me…OUTLAST YOUR STORMS! STAY IN THE BOOK, and your CHAPTER 42 WILL COME!!!
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Janine Scott-Lowe, MD is a Family Physician who practices in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, taking care of the soldiers and family members of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. She has two beautiful daughters, Kendall and Katrina.
You can find more articles and information about Janine's books on her website:
http://www.hishandsextendedonline.com.
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