All Better Now?
10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends, and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. 12 The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. (Job 42:10-13)
Job graciously prayed for his three friends who had tried to convince him to repent of some wrong that Job had not committed. God condemned the friends for speaking incorrectly and only accepted their offerings after Job's prayer. God also confirmed Job's innocence, and blessed Job with even more than he had before. But the trauma was not erased, the dead children did not return and they can not be replaced - even if his new daughters were the most beautiful women in the land. Acknowledging this, the text tells us that all of Job's siblings, and those who had known him before, came to comfort Job for his loses even in the midst of the blessings God now showered on Job. The text also implies that Job learned to value God's blessings in a way that he didn't before because, this time, he gave his daughters an inheritance along with his sons.
We will go through hard things that can't always be explained away or resolved. Looking forward to future blessings may not fully mend our hearts from the pain of loss. We can, however, strive to live in a perpetual state of appreciation for God's blessings in realization of their temporary nature.
The book of Job is just one of 66 books in the canonical bible and there are many additional texts that are not included in this sacred book - all speak to humanity's endeavor to know God. Our own stories also shed light on the human experience with God. We are united with people everywhere when we suffer, cry out, listen for the voice of our creator, and grapple with the response or the seeming lack thereof. It's unlikely that things will ever be all better on this side of heaven, but may we find and trust God's ultimate answer of love and provision at the foot of the cross and at the mouth of an empty tomb.
6 This poor soul cried and was heard by the LORD and was saved from every trouble. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD rescues them from them all. 20 He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken. 21 Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:6-8, 19-22)
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