University of Adversity

11.15.12

Job 42.11 11 Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold. NASB

If for no other reason, God intervened in Job’s life in such a way as to get his attention forever. Job’s faith was deep before his calamity but became fathomless after. If Job was great before his adversities, imagine his greatness after. Anyone who is touched by God is changed forever. Anyone who endures under the Lord’s adversities is changed forever.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Job’s body was scarred by his afflictions. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was changed physically. But the change in his heart, his demeanor, his character – no one could measure. God did a work in him that could come no other way. Job may have seen the evidence of his boils in his scars but his heart was purified – and all of Job’s questions were answered: God. There was a change in Job that was evident and people no longer looked at Rancher Job the way they had before.

And Job’s life became enduring. If I’ve read the Scripture correctly, it says: After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. And Job died, an old man and full of days. (Job 42.16-17) Job’s life was full of joy; however old he was, everything, for Job, seemed to come into clear focus.

And here’s the deal: God did it all. Everyone who came to console Job understood what was his life and what became of his life and Who did it: God. They knew and accepted the hand of the Lord’s adversities and seemed to see the fruit of those difficult, difficult times. Job was tremendously blessed because of God.

As are we. We are blessed because of the things that happen to us. I know we like to blame everyone and everything but God when the c@#$ hits the fan, but we’re blessed because God knows exactly what He’s doing: Have you considered my servant: __________________ (insert your name)? We’re His servants and our lives are His to do with what He wants and guess what: He wants to do everything good for us…and we’ll have an entire eternity to mull that over.

Our lives are, from beginning to end, a canvas upon which God uses the colors of our blood, sweat, and tears to paint His glory and to tell His story, of just how much He loves us through adversities. Adversities that came to us by His own hand. Have we the faith to receive that and believe that? Job did. Job learned through the University of Adversity and earned his degree by God’s pulling him through – how about us?