The Lord blessed the Latter end more than the beginning
The Lord blessed the Latter end more than the beginning
By Evangeline Unity Esaaba Folson
So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning……….
Another translation says
The Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life even more than the first part……
The verse above breaks Job’s into two major parts:
- The beginning / The first part
- The Latter / The last part
The beginning refers to Job
- As a blameless and upright man;
he found God and shunned
evil and her had a lot
of property and wealth.
then calamity struck
- The evil refers to Job
having his health,
and wealth restored, not
as a reward for good
behavior, but simply
as a generous gift
from God.
What does a Christian do when calamity strikes? He / She must:
- Search the word for answers
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10
1 Peter 5:8
- Believe in God’s ability to save
Jeremiah 32:27
1 John 5:4
- Pray for the favor of God
Psalm 51:1-4
Matthew 6:13
- Thank God for answered prayer
Isaiah 43:1-2
Ephesians 6:18
Search the word for answers
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again , there is nothing now under the sun. Is there anything in which one can say, “Look, this is something”?
It was here already, long ago, it was here before our time.
The passage above says everything that happens in the world has happened before.
Meaning, no problem is new. Someone else has experienced a similar issue in the bible and in real life. Their experience can be used as a guide to help you overcome the problem you find yourself in
1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
This verse says, our enemy the devil is working 24/7 he is actually doing overtime, no sleep no rest so that by all means he can get you off guard at a point in time by striking you with calamity.
What must we do?
- First of all, we must be self-controlled. We must not let the spirit of fear and anxiety take over us or we will be struck down.
The bible says in Joel 3:10
let the weak say I am strong and the poor say I am rich.
because confession brings into being what you are looking for.
- Alert, being ready to counteract anything thrown at you. Or be ready for war or defense at all times
- Try to fight him-off (resist him) through your faith or confidence that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians, 4:6)
- Know that there are others going through similar problems. You can encourage each other as Galatians 6:2 says
Bear ye one another burdens.
Believe in God’s ability to save
Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?
The verse above says, there is nothing too difficult for the Lord to do. It does not matter how difficult or impossible the situation may seem, the Lord can make a way, he can fix it.
When Hagar ran away from her mistress Sarah and was stranded with her son in the desert with no water or food the Lord made a way. He did not allow them to die of thirst and hunger despite the fact that it is impossible to find food and water in the desert. (Genesis 16:7-10)
The Lord can save you from any situation once you trust Him.
1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
To overcome the world is to be saved from a challenging situation. The verse above continues to say that our faith or confidence in God is what helps us overcome or have victory over challenging situations.
Pray for the favor of the Lord
Psalm 51:4-5
Against thee, the only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightiest be justified when thou speaketh, and be clear when thou judges.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me
In the passage above, the Psalmist is praying for the Lord’s forgiveness and favor. He reminds God that he was created in sin and therefore has a tendency to fall into sin.
When you have the Lord’s forgiveness and favour, you receive a lot of blessings. The goodness and mercy of God runs after you or overflows in your life (Psalmist 23:6)
Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
The verse above is part of the Lord’s Prayer. We need to pray every day for the Lord to deliver us from evil because our adversary the devil is working day and night to ensure that we fall into sin. (1 Peter 5:8)
Thank God for answered prayer
Isaiah 43:1-2
………….When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through, the rivers, they shall not overflow
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit………
We need to thank God constantly for His blessings and mercies. Thanksgiving should be an everyday thing.
Conclusion
It is important to note that God works in a different way for everybody.
When Job lost his family and wealth God gave him a new family and new wealth.
But when king David was captured after the great victory at the battle at Ziklag. God asked him to pursue and recover all. (1 Samuel 30:1-8).
What happens to each individual depends not on his own will and desire. It is God’s prerogative because He knows what is best for you.
He knows the past, the present and the future.
If you try to decide yourself to think God will want you to make sacrifices you might go astray.
Christianity is not based on sacrifices alone. If you make a sacrifice that is not from your heart and condemn yourself to a life of doom or sadness you might miss it.
Maybe you have made sacrifices for so long and it is time for God to bless you.
In giving, God prefers an offering that is from the heart. God loves a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:6 – 8)
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