Gods loving kindness
THE LOVING-KINDNESS OF THE LORD
Nor was the blessing GOD gave to His servant a small one. During this
time of affliction, which, perhaps, was not very prolonged, Job learned
lessons, which all his life of prosperity had been unable to teach him. The
mistakes he made in the hastiness of his spirit were corrected; his
knowledge of GOD was deepened and increased; he had learned to know
Him better than he could have done in any other way. He exclaimed that
he had heard of Him previously by the hearing of the ear, and knew GOD
by hearsay only; but that now his eye saw Him, and that his acquaintance
with GOD had become that which was the result of personal knowledge,
and not of mere report. All his self-righteousness was gone: he abhorred
himself in dust and ashes.
Then, when he prayed for his friends, the LORD removed the sorrow,
restored to him the love and friendship of those who previously were for
the time alienated, and blessed the latter end of Job more than the
beginning. His sheep, his camels, his oxen, and his asses, were doubled.
Again seven sons and three daughters were granted to him, and thus the
number of his children also was doubled; for those who were dead were
not lost, they had only gone before. And after all this, Job lived 140 years,
and saw his children, and grandchildren, to the fourth generation; and
finally died, being old and full of days.
May we not well say that if Job’s prosperity was blessed prosperity, his
adversity, likewise, was blessed adversity? "Weeping may endure for a
night, but joy cometh in the morning;" and the night of weeping will bear a
fruit more rich and permanent than any day of rejoicing could produce.
"The evening and the morning were the first day." Light out of darkness is
GOD’S order, and if sometimes our Heavenly FATHER can trust us with
a trial, it is a sure presage that, if by grace the trial is accepted, He will ere
long trust us with a blessing.
In this day, when material causes are so much dwelt upon that there is
danger of forgetting the unseen agencies, let us not lose sight of the
existence and reality of our unseen spiritual foes. Many a child of GOD
knows what it is to have sore conflict with flesh and blood; and yet, as
says the Apostle, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against...
wicked spirits in heavenly places" (margin). It would be comparatively
easy to deal with our visible foes, if the invisible foes were not behind
them. With foes so mighty and, apart from GOD’S protecting care, so
utterly irresistible, we should be helpless indeed if unprotected and
unarmed.
We need to put on the whole armor of GOD, and to be not ignorant of
Satan’s devices. Let us not, on the other hand, lose sight of the precious
truth that GOD alone is Almighty; that GOD is our Helper, our Protector,
and our Shield, as well as our exceeding great Reward. "If GOD be for us,
who can be against us?" Let us always be on His side, seeking to carry out
His purposes; then the power of GOD will always be with us, and we
shall be made more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
THE LOVING-KINDNESS OF THE LORD
Nor was the blessing GOD gave to His servant a small one. During this
time of affliction, which, perhaps, was not very prolonged, Job learned
lessons, which all his life of prosperity had been unable to teach him. The
mistakes he made in the hastiness of his spirit were corrected; his
knowledge of GOD was deepened and increased; he had learned to know
Him better than he could have done in any other way. He exclaimed that
he had heard of Him previously by the hearing of the ear, and knew GOD
by hearsay only; but that now his eye saw Him, and that his acquaintance
with GOD had become that which was the result of personal knowledge,
and not of mere report. All his self-righteousness was gone: he abhorred
himself in dust and ashes.
Then, when he prayed for his friends, the LORD removed the sorrow,
restored to him the love and friendship of those who previously were for
the time alienated, and blessed the latter end of Job more than the
beginning. His sheep, his camels, his oxen, and his asses, were doubled.
Again seven sons and three daughters were granted to him, and thus the
number of his children also was doubled; for those who were dead were
not lost, they had only gone before. And after all this, Job lived 140 years,
and saw his children, and grandchildren, to the fourth generation; and
finally died, being old and full of days.
May we not well say that if Job’s prosperity was blessed prosperity, his
adversity, likewise, was blessed adversity? "Weeping may endure for a
night, but joy cometh in the morning;" and the night of weeping will bear a
fruit more rich and permanent than any day of rejoicing could produce.
"The evening and the morning were the first day." Light out of darkness is
GOD’S order, and if sometimes our Heavenly FATHER can trust us with
a trial, it is a sure presage that, if by grace the trial is accepted, He will ere
long trust us with a blessing.
In this day, when material causes are so much dwelt upon that there is
danger of forgetting the unseen agencies, let us not lose sight of the
existence and reality of our unseen spiritual foes. Many a child of GOD
knows what it is to have sore conflict with flesh and blood; and yet, as
says the Apostle, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against...
wicked spirits in heavenly places" (margin). It would be comparatively
easy to deal with our visible foes, if the invisible foes were not behind
them. With foes so mighty and, apart from GOD’S protecting care, so
utterly irresistible, we should be helpless indeed if unprotected and
unarmed.
We need to put on the whole armor of GOD, and to be not ignorant of
Satan’s devices. Let us not, on the other hand, lose sight of the precious
truth that GOD alone is Almighty; that GOD is our Helper, our Protector,
and our Shield, as well as our exceeding great Reward. "If GOD be for us,
who can be against us?" Let us always be on His side, seeking to carry out
His purposes; then the power of GOD will always be with us, and we
shall be made more than conquerors through Him that loved us.