JOB’S LATTER END

Say HiA Message Prepared and Delivered By Rev. ‘Segun Adeleke, DMin., On December 2, 2018, During Her Sunday ServiceThe book of Job is one of the familiar books in the Bible. However, it is perhaps also one of the least understood books. Many people, including Christians, don’t like reading this book. There is an unconscious feeling that something tragic may happen by reading the book. This book is however rich in inspiration. It is a book that helps us to strike a balance in our faith in God. This book helps us to understand that life is not a straight graph, but is characterized by seasons. There are moments in life when everything is great, smooth and straight; and there are also moments when life becomes filled with much drudgery and little pleasure, and you just don’t know what to do. The truth is that, no matter the seasons of life you find yourself in on life’s journey as a believer, God will always be there for you. The Lord was with Job through the various seasons of his life. He is with us also in our life’s journey, and will bless our latter end.It is my prayer that as we go through the last month of the year 2018, God will bless you in a special way. May God turn every hopeless situation around for your good in Jesus' Name. May the Lord turn your fortunes around for good in Jesus' Name. May you recover all your lost grounds between now and the end of this year in Jesus' Name. Amen.The story of Job’s life can be divided into three parts viz. The Early part - Job 1:1 - 12 cf. Job 29:1-25. The Middle part - Job 1:13 - 22; 2:1 - 13 - 41:1ff. The Latter part - Job 42:1 - 17.The encouragement we all must go with from today’s message is that God will always have the final say in our lives. We should therefore learn from Job on how we should respond to trials, and allow God to turn the hopeless situations in our lives around.From Job 42:1-17, there are some inspirations we can glean on how Job experienced God’s blessing in his latter end. These include the following1.         He exercised faith in God’s omnipotence - V.1Job trusted God even when it didn’t make sense.God is the Omnipotent God. His power is unlimited. He has the ultimate power.Nobody can stand on His way. Job believed in God’s OmnipotenceWe see him severally confessing his faith in God’s omnipotence – Job 13:15; 19:23 – 27; 23:10.2.          He came to an understanding of the plan of God - V.2God has a wonderful plan for all His children. His thoughts towards us are not only profound but precious, very good and vast - Psa. 40:5; 139:17; Isa. 55:8 - 9; Jer. 29:11.Until you have a basic understanding of God’s plan, the enemy will continue to taunt and torture you in your life's journey. Job finally came to that understanding and thus declared “No plan of yours can be thwarted” - V.2. The truth remains: No plan of God for your life can be thwarted!Nothing and no one can upset the plans of God for your life. 3.      It demands that we be careful with our utterances - V.3; We all do say certain things that shouldn’t be said while going through valley moments.Job said many negative things while going through the dark days – Job 3:1ff;His 3 friends did the same. In fact they added “insult to injury.” God was not happy with Job’s friends and instructed them to go and apologize to Job – V.7 – 9. 4.         He acknowledged his sins and repented of them V. 3 -6       Both Job and his 3 friends sinned.Job obscured God’s counsel without knowledge - V.3Job spoke of things he did not understanwww.ikoyibaptistchurch.org, instagram.com/@ikoyibaptisthurch, facebook.com/@ikoyibaptistchurch, x.com/@ikoyibaptistchurch.