Perseverance with Perspective

Good morning, Cross Connection. While you are standing, would you take out your Bibles this morning and open them to the Old Testament book of Job? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. If you turn to right about the middle of your Bible, you'll be in the Psalms, and then one book to the left is Job.

We are at the end of the book today. Job chapter 38 is where we're going to pick it up. We're going to read a little bit in Job chapter 38, chapter 41, and chapter 42. I believe so. Job 38, beginning at verse 1, there it is written:

"Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 'Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man, and I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.'"

Turn over a couple of chapters to chapter 40, verse 1. Moreover, the Lord answered Job and said, "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it."

Then Job answered the Lord and said, "Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer you? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind a second time and said, "Now prepare yourself like a man. I will question you, and you shall answer me. Would you indeed annul my judgments? Would you condemn me that you may be justified?"

In chapter 42, verse 1, then Job answered the Lord and said, "I know that you can do everything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. You asked, 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know."

Not know, listen please, and let me speak. You said, "I will question you, and you shall answer me." I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. God, I pray that you would give us wisdom and insight as we open the Scriptures today. Not just that we would know what's being said here in this passage, but that we would know how to make it a part of our lives. Lord, that you would continue the transforming work that you're doing in each of us—the work that starts in our hearts and in our minds, but then begins to transform the way that we interact with people, the way that we respond. God, do that work for your glory, Lord. Not just for your glory, but also for our ultimate good.

As we see in this text, and as we'll consider as we go through this, you do have a purpose and a plan in our lives that you're seeking to accomplish. We pray, God, that you would be able to fulfill that work in us, for we ask this in Jesus' name. And all those that agreed said, "Amen." You may be seated.

Well, we began this series in the book of Job six weeks ago to consider the servant of the Lord named Job. As we've been going through this, I hope you have seen and noticed that Job's story is one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible. It has a lot that we can learn from, a lot to teach us. If you've been unable to be here every week as we've gone through it, I would really encourage you to go and listen to the messages online on our website, lifeinconnection.com.

If you know someone who is at this moment going through a trial or some sort of difficulty, maybe recommend it to them. I have received a lot of interaction and feedback as we have been going through this series of messages in Job, and I think that a big part of that feedback has come to me because each of us experiences suffering. We all experience suffering at some level. Now, there is a sense in which the suffering that we experience can seem relative, and so sometimes it can seem...

To others, our suffering may seem insignificant, or it can appear very great to us, depending on how we perceive the suffering of other people and the things we are going through. Suffering can be somewhat relative, but we all experience it. If we don't personally experience suffering, we are still impacted by the suffering of others, especially in our day when we are constantly bombarded with information and news from locally and around the world about heavy things that people are enduring.

We may not be affected by suffering in the same way or to the same extent as Job, but we all experience suffering at some level. The question is not whether or not we will suffer; rather, it is how we respond when we do suffer. This is an important consideration. We have been examining the responses to suffering by Job and those who were part of his life in this passage of Scripture. It opens our eyes to how we respond when we suffer.

There are really only two ways to emerge from suffering as someone who walks with God or seeks to walk with God. You can come out of that suffering feeling angry or upset with God, hardened toward Him, or the suffering can draw you closer to Him. You may begin to see and realize that perhaps God is working in the midst of that suffering. One way people have expressed this is that you can either come out better or come out bitter.

I have certainly met some people over the years who are hardened and bitter because of suffering, feeling that God either didn't intervene or was doing something to them. This is fascinating because, when you look at the story of Job, if ever there was a person who could have been angry at God, it would be Job. Not everyone who suffers does so because it comes from the hand of God, but in Job's story, there is no other way around it; this suffering was indeed from God. Yet, as we will see in the text today, Job does not end up bitter toward God.

There is a transformation that takes place. Everybody suffers; it is a reality in the fallen, broken world we live in. However, not everyone emerges from suffering in the same way that Job did.

Everybody emerges in a better situation, as James did. Now, in the New Testament book of James, we have a verse that deals with some of this. It is a verse that maybe some of you have read or heard before. If you wouldn't mind turning in your Bibles to the book of James, it's right near the end of your Bible. If you open to the very last book, Revelation, and just turn a little bit to the left, you're going to pass the books of Jude, 2 John, and 3 John, and then you'll get to James.

James chapter 1, as I said, might be a familiar verse to some of you. Beginning at verse 2, James, writing to the church, says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." How many of you have ever heard that verse before? How many of you do that really well—count it all joy when you fall into various trials? Knowing that, in verse 3, the testing of your faith produces patience.

Some of you know those words; you've read these words. In fact, how many of you have heard someone say before, "Don't pray for patience"? They say that because of this verse: "Count it all joy when you encounter various trials." For the testing of your faith produces patience. So, don't pray for patience. Sometimes people say, "Don't read the book of Job because if you read the book of Job, everything in your life is going to fall apart," as if there's some sort of connection to it.

Just so you know, you're going to encounter trials regardless of whether you pray for patience or read the book of Job. You will have trials. But you're only going to enjoy the benefit, and that may sound like a weird way of saying it—enjoy the benefit. Yet, James says, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials," because there's a benefit that he talks about. You're only going to enjoy a benefit in and through the trials that we face, and all of us will face them in one way or another. There's only one way to experience or enjoy that benefit, and the Apostle James goes on talking about this. It's a theme in his short letter, so he opens with those words.

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Then, skip down to verse 12 of the same chapter, James chapter 1, verse 12. The Apostle James says this: "Blessed is the man," or "Blessed is the one who endures." That word "endures" in the Greek is the same word as "patience" in verse 3. So, blessed is the person who is patient in temptations. That word "temptations" is the same as "count it all joy when you fall into various trials."

Oh, how happy— that's what "blessed" means— is the one who is patient in trials! Why would that person be happy and blessed? For when he has been tested, approved, or tried, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. The blessing is not in the trial, but the blessing is in the outcome for the person who patiently endures in the midst of that trial. Count it all joy! Why? Because there's a potential blessing.

This is how James opens his letter, and as I said, this is kind of a theme in James' small letter. Look at how he closes the letter four chapters later in chapter five. James chapter five begins reading at verse seven: "Therefore be patient, brethren. Be patient until the coming of the Lord." See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and the latter rain.

You also be patient; establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another. In verse 9 of chapter 5, it says, "Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door." My brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience. Consider the prophets of old as an example for you of suffering and patience. Indeed, we count them blessed who endure. And then this: you have heard of the perseverance.

Job saw the end intended by the Lord, who is very compassionate and merciful. It is fascinating that this is the one reference to Job in the New Testament. As we come to the close of this series in the Book of Job, it is appropriate to land here in James, where he says, "You have heard of the perseverance of Job." This is true; we have heard of the perseverance of Job as we have gone through this series. The end intended by the Lord shows that He is very compassionate and merciful.

James states that we count them blessed who endure. In Chapter 1 of James, we see that blessed is the man who endures trials. Oh, how happy is the person who continues in perseverance and endurance through trials! That person will receive a blessing from the Lord. So, we count them blessed who endure. But who are "them" in James Chapter 5, verse 11? In verse 10, we are given the answer: the "them" are the prophets.

James writes, "My brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience." Many of you have read through the prophetic books of the Old Testament, which begin with the prophet Isaiah and continue through Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Then we come to what are called the minor prophets, individuals like Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Hosea.

Many people, even those who aren't necessarily Christians or regular churchgoers, will read through the prophets because they believe there is something very special in them. I remember checking out at the newsstand at Vons and seeing a headline about "the twelve prophecies that the government doesn't want you to know." I opened it, and there was Isaiah. This piqued my interest, and I thought, "I should read the Book of Isaiah because there is something in there for me today about the end of the world."

People are often drawn to this sort of material. We read the prophets sometimes to find insights about the first coming of Jesus, the second coming of Jesus, the end of the world, the Antichrist, and eschatology. These topics captivate many, and the prophets provide a wealth of information on these subjects.

Things we get into with the prophets are fascinating. Some of the earliest Christians, James being one of them, say that reading the prophets in a certain way may not be the best approach. He reminds us to consider the prophets of old as examples of suffering and patience.

I have studied quite a bit through the prophets. I teach both Isaiah and Jeremiah at the Bible College up in Marietta, and I have taught that for many years. One of the things you find when you read through a book like Isaiah is that he and the people of his day were living through the end of their world. Their nation was under siege. The northern ten tribes of Israel were completely annihilated, obliterated, and destroyed effectively by the Assyrian Empire in the eighth century BC, during the time of Isaiah.

In his day, the Assyrians came and destroyed 46 major cities of Judah and Israel. They surrounded Jerusalem, and Isaiah was there in the midst of it, convinced it was the end of the world. He and the people suffered and endured. James says we should take them as an example of suffering and patience.

Then there is the Prophet Jeremiah, who lived about 150 years after Isaiah. In his time, God had protected and saved the city of Jerusalem during the eschatological obliteration that Isaiah experienced. However, in Jeremiah's day, that would not be the case. The Babylonians came and completely destroyed everything again, including the city of Jerusalem and the temple. Jeremiah experienced all of that and endured great suffering. James reminds us to remember the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as examples of suffering and patience.

Ezekiel also provides insight. He experienced the Assyrian judgment like Isaiah and the Babylonian destruction like Jeremiah. Ezekiel was an exile, a prisoner of war in Babylon, and he too experienced suffering. James emphasizes that we should take them as examples of suffering and patience.

But not only the prophets of old; he also mentions Job. We need to recognize that there is a lesson in this for us. Point number one on your outline is that Job's patience in suffering is...

An example we should remember and follow is found in the book of James. He says we count individuals like Job among the prophets. We consider those men of old blessed who endure. Why do we count them blessed? Because in the end, after the testing, there was a blessing that James speaks about. In this passage, he identifies this blessing as the crown of life. Those who endure through the midst of suffering until the end will receive this blessing. Blessed is the person who endures, for they will receive from the Lord the crown of life, which He has promised to those who love Him.

Now, let's jump right to point number two. Hopefully, you have point number one down: God promises a blessing to those who patiently endure trials. This is what we see from James; there is a promised blessing, and he identifies it as the crown of life. This begs the question: What is the crown of life?

To answer that question, we need to look at the one other place in the Bible where the term "crown of life" is used. It appears in the last book of the Bible, in Revelation chapter 2. If you are in James, just turn five or so books to the right to Revelation chapter 2. In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, there are seven letters written to seven churches by Jesus. We call these the seven churches of Asia. Today, the ruins of these seven churches exist in modern-day western Turkey.

In Revelation chapter 2, beginning at verse 8, Jesus is writing a letter to a church called Smyrna, located in the city of Smyrna, which is modern-day Izmir. He writes this letter to a church known as the suffering Church. He says this: "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things says the First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life."

Quick question: Who is the One who is the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life? You passed the pop quiz! Good job! You'll do great on the final; it's going to be no problem.

You, Tater, will make sure these things say the first and last who was dead and came to life. Jesus is speaking: "I know your works, and I know the tribulation, trials, and the poverty, but you are rich. I know the blasphemy of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan."

There are people who are blaspheming you; there are people who are speaking derogatorily about you. Do not fear.

In verse 10 of Revelation chapter 2, it says, "Do not fear those things which you are about to suffer." Wait, you mean, Jesus, you're not going to stop the suffering? You're not going to keep them out of the difficulty? You're going to allow them to go through this suffering? All you have for them is a word: "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer." Indeed, the devil himself is about to throw some of you into prison. Well, that's good news, isn't it?

You may be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. "Be faithful unto death, and I will give to you the crown of life." He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

The crown of life is given, as we read here in Revelation and as we see the allusion to it in James chapter one. The crown of life is given to those who remain faithful unto death. It is given to them by the One who was dead and came to life. It is for those who remain steadfast in the face of trials and difficulty. It is for those who experience the testing of the enemy, who comes against them and are treated blasphemously by others.

The crown of life is given to them. What is the crown of life? The crown of life is eternal life. It's life after death; it's life because of the resurrection of the One who was dead and came alive again. It is life given to us, the crown of life from the One who wore the crown.

Of thorns for you, indeed, we count them blessed to endure suffering. In that letter to the Church of Smyrna, he says, "You are going to suffer ten days." Most commentators and Bible teachers, including myself, would agree that it is probably not ten literal days; it serves as an example of temporariness. It is not forever, which is a real challenge for us. When we suffer—and all of us have suffered—have you ever experienced that in the midst of it, you start to think with those very burdensome words, "This will never pass; it's never going to get any better"?

But we have this promise: it is temporary. Even if you were to suffer every day of your life throughout all of your life, it is temporary. That is the message that the Scriptures bring to us. It is not forever; it is temporary. So we count them blessed to endure suffering, even if all of their life is suffering. This life, and all the suffering that we could experience in it, is temporary.

James says, "You have heard of the perseverance of Job." Not only have you heard of the perseverance of Job, but you have also seen the end intended by the Lord. However, we actually haven't seen the end intended by the Lord. So, go back to the book of Job, specifically Job 42. We read the first six verses of Job 42, and at the end of that conversation, Job says, "I have heard of you by the hearing of my ear, and now my eye sees you, God. Therefore, I abhor myself."

When he comes in contact with the Living God, he says, "I abhor myself," very similar to what Isaiah says in Isaiah chapter 6. Isaiah states, "I saw the Lord high and lifted up," and when he saw Him, he says, "I am undone." Job experiences the same thing: "I abhor myself; I repent in dust and ashes."

Then, in verse 7, it was after the Lord had spoken these words to Job that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "Remember, Eliphaz, my wrath is aroused against you."

Your two friends, that’s bad news for you. They have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. This is very fascinating. If you read through all of Job's words, even in the midst of his trials, God says, "You haven't spoken anything of Me that is wrong," which is pretty amazing.

Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite have spoken things about Me that are wrong, but Job has spoken what is right. Therefore, verse 8 states, "Take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering. My servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your foolishness, your folly, because you have not spoken to Me what is right, as My servant Job has."

So Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar went and did as the Lord commanded them, for the Lord had accepted Job. The Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends, which is a very fascinating thing to meditate upon. Indeed, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

All his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before—his family and friends—came to him. They ate food with him in his house and consoled him, comforting him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and a ring of gold.

Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. He had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He called the name of the first daughter Jemima, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. In all the land, there were not found any women so beautiful as the daughters of Job, and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died old and full of days.

It seems like a good resolution that job experiences are full of days. What is interesting is that James, inspired by God, says, "You have seen the end intended by the Lord." What does that mean? According to James, this is God's plan all along to bring about a resolution. Although there is a lot of nuance in what is going on in Job 42, it teaches us an important lesson.

Point number three on your outline is that God has an intended end and purpose in suffering. At the very least, we can take away from what we read in Job 42 that God has something He is doing—an intended plan and purpose in the end of suffering. We may not always see the intended plan in the suffering, and we may not always fully comprehend what it is that God is doing. Perhaps you have been in a place where you even pray, "God, I don't understand what You're doing in this situation." However, we can and should trust that God does have a purpose and a plan that He is seeking to accomplish.

You may even question, in the midst of suffering and the challenges we face in this life, whether or not this purpose intended by the Lord is a good thing to wait patiently for. But consider how James finishes what he says. He mentions three things: "You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and you have seen the intended plan that the Lord brought about—the end that God intended." He also says that "the Lord is very compassionate and merciful."

These words need to be held close in our hearts. Why do we need to hold those words in our minds and hearts through the difficulties we go through in this life? I am convinced that the enemy, as the Bible makes very clear, opposes the work of God. We see him from the very beginning in Genesis chapter 3. I am convinced that the enemy, the devil, would love nothing more than for you and me to question the goodness of God, His compassion, and His mercy. This is what the enemy has been doing since the very beginning.

In Genesis chapter 3, there is a somewhat strange interaction between Eve and the serpent. The implication that the serpent makes is that God is holding something back from them; He is not being as good to them as He could be. The enemy constantly bombards us with the idea that the Lord is not compassionate and merciful. Yet, throughout the Scriptures, from the very beginning to the very end, we see this truth hammered home: God is very compassionate and merciful. We need to be reminded of that, and we need to remind other people of that.

In remembering God's mercy and compassion, I want to finish this series on Job by pointing out some important things regarding the story of Job as it reaches a resolution in Job chapter 42. First, it is worth noting that the ancient Hebrews, at the time the story of Job was recorded, did not have a clear theology surrounding death, life after death, and the resurrection. Their understanding was unclear, fuzzy, and dark. For them, the afterlife was a very fearful concept, which is true for many people today.

When surveys are conducted about the greatest fears that people have, death is often right near the top. Interestingly, public speaking frequently comes before death on that list. For most people, they would rather be the one in the casket than the one sharing at the funeral, which is a strange phenomenon. Many people fear death, but for the ancient Hebrews, especially, there was no clear understanding of death and resurrection.

So, when we come to Job chapter 42 and read the poetic language throughout the entire book, we see the restoration that Job experiences. This restoration, where Job receives everything double in return, better than before, is a picture of resurrection. It reveals God's mercy and compassion amidst all the events that transpired in this story.

Job, in a sense, experiences a death and resurrection situation as we see him go through suffering and then receive great restoration. Job's restoration is a type of resurrection. We know that not everyone who suffers in this life and on this fallen earth is rewarded in this life; not everybody gets back what Job gets back in this story. However, the Bible reveals to us that God has for us an expected good end for those who love the Lord. That's exactly what James says in James chapter 1, verse 2: "Blessed is the person who endures temptation patiently and goes through that trial, for they shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

God has a promise of restoration and resurrection for those who love the Lord and trust in Him, which helps put into perspective all the things we could face in this world. In fact, if you wouldn't mind turning your Bibles to the New Testament, we're kind of bouncing back and forth here today. Go to the book of Second Corinthians. The New Testament is the last third of your Bible; it starts with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and then you'll hit Acts, Romans, First Corinthians, and then Second Corinthians.

In Second Corinthians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul writes this in verse 16: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day." How many of you feel like the outward man is perishing? There were more hands in the first service; for some reason, I can't understand why. Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though the outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Jesus says to the church at Smyrna that you're going to experience this trial temporarily.

The weight of glory is significant, as we do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen. The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

You might think, in reading through the 42 chapters of Job, that the book of Job is a story about one man's suffering and his response to it, as well as the response of other people to that suffering. However, I want to suggest that the book of Job is about God's ability to resurrect and raise one up out of suffering, which is the hope that Christians have.

I mentioned at the open of this series a book that was written in 1981 by a Jewish rabbi named Harold Kushner, called "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." He wrote that book after experiencing a devastating trial with his wife. They had a son named Aaron, who at two years old was diagnosed with a genetic disorder that ended up being terminal, and it took his life when he was 14. After that, he wrote this book, trying to wrestle with the issues of bad things happening in the world and whether there is a good God, which is what Jews and Christians believe.

In wrestling with that, his ultimate conclusion is that our concept of God is flawed and that God is not all-powerful. He argues that if God were all-powerful, He would stop these things from happening. I don't believe that this is what you can take from the Scriptures, as that is not how God has revealed Himself in the Scriptures.

What is fascinating to me is that about a third of the way through the book, he quickly mentions the concept of eternity. He states that some people believe that after death there is a resurrection and life after this, and that there would be joy in that place, but he questions who can know. He sets it aside, leaving no ultimate hope in what he presents. However, that is not what is presented in the Bible. This perspective reflects a very ancient Jewish way of seeing things, where the belief is that we just don't know what happens after death.

In contrast, the New Testament tells us, in 2 Timothy chapter 1, that Jesus brings to light life and immortality.

Immortality through the Gospel is a profound theme. That which was unclear in the Old Testament is revealed in the New. The mystery of the Old Testament is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He brings to light life and immortality through the Gospel. This is why Paul could write to the Thessalonians in First Thessalonians chapter 4. He spoke about people in their church who had died, saying, "We do not sorrow as those who have no hope."

We are sorrowful when we suffer loss, especially the loss of a loved one, but we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. Paul encourages us to comfort one another with these sayings. These words are a comfort to us. The book of Job illustrates God's ability to resurrect and raise one out of suffering, which is the ultimate hope that we have.

Point number four on your outline is that the end God intends is not the end of this life, for that is just the beginning. We live in an increasingly naturalistic and materialistic culture that believes all there is, is this life. If all there is, is this life, and this life is rife with suffering, then there is every reason to be depressed, especially when we look at the apparent success and blessing of others.

In Psalm 73, the psalmist reflects on this unfairness, observing that many sinful and wicked people seem to prosper while he suffers. It presents a bad perspective, and Job helps us gain a better understanding.

The first thing to note when looking at the book of Job is that the ancient Hebrews did not have a well-established doctrine of resurrection. Job gives us a picture of resurrection. The second thing to consider is God's merciful compassion and the ultimate end intended by Him, especially in light of all that Job went through.

The ultimate end that God intends hopefully should help us gain perspective in the suffering that we go through or in the suffering we walk with others through. All of us suffer; again, it may be relative suffering. Your suffering may seem really great in comparison to someone else’s, like when their TV broke. However, it may seem very little to the person who has been a missionary dealing with people who are dying in Liberia. It seems relative, but it doesn't feel that way to us in the midst of suffering until we gain the perspective, which is that eternal perspective.

It was not planned, but I don't think it's an accident or a coincidence that right before we started this series, Pastor Mark taught for me and focused on eternity. He emphasized the importance in Colossians 3 of setting our minds on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of glory. Having that perspective is crucial. Our culture is constantly trying to get us to live in the moment. We've been told that by so many different cultural influencers for the last couple of decades. You have to live in the moment, and maybe there's some truth to being present and not being distracted by everything.

However, there's also a necessity of stepping back and seeing God above all of these things. That's exactly what Isaiah describes in Isaiah 6. The chapter begins with the words, "In the year that King Uzziah died." When you really get the backstory, you realize that the nation was in chaos. In the midst of all the chaos, Isaiah says, "I saw the Lord high and lifted up," and it gave him perspective. Hopefully, Job helps us to gain some perspective as well.

The Apostle Paul gives us an important meditation in Romans chapter 8. You don't have to turn there; I'll just read from Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 15. He says, "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption whereby you cry out, 'Abba, Father.'" God is your Father. That word "Abba" is like "Daddy." You are a child of God.

In verse 16, Paul continues, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if we are the children of God, then we are heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified together." In Romans 8:18, he writes, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." If you've not memorized that, I would encourage you to do so.

I challenge you to do so before I consider that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Ten verses later, Paul says, "And we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose."

Point number five, and we'll close with this: a proper perspective of suffering will help us maintain hopeful endurance in any and every trial. This has been my own personal experience just in the last six weeks of going through the book of Job. When I mentioned to the staff that we were going to go through the book of Job, Pastor Mark jokingly said, "Oh, come on, things are just going to get terrible." There is that thought that goes through people's minds.

However, if we read through Job, we see that things are going to go bad, but I think one of the other ways to think about it is this: things are going bad all the time. When you read through the book of Job, you gain a different perspective. That has been my experience over the last six weeks, especially in the last couple of weeks.

We all go through challenging things; some of them are just irritations, while others are heavy burdens and difficult situations. For instance, this last week, we had to put one of our dogs down. Just a few days before that, we had to rebuild the transmission in the suburban, which cost $3,800. Then, a week ago last night, identity thieves got into my savings account and almost wiped out $5,000. I am grateful they didn't.

In the same period of time, my homeowners insurance company informed me that they would no longer insure me because I am in a fire danger area. I received another quote back, and it was literally five times as much as my previous insurance. Additionally, I got Dan McCallister's Christmas letter sent to me. If you're a homeowner, you know who Dan McCallister is; he's such a great guy. I still need to send him a card before December 10th.

In all of these things, I have at the very least gained a different perspective. There is a peace in the Bible.

Talks about that surpasses all understanding. For I consider that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. We know that He works all things together for the good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? God, I thank You for Your Word. It is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. In it, it is able to divide between joint and marrow, and soul and spirit. It is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of our hearts.

I pray, God, that as we come to Your Word, we would have our eyes lifted to see eternity. For the outward man is perishing, but the inward man is being renewed day by day, being prepared for the day when we come into Your presence. In Your presence is fullness of joy, and at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. You have promised to wipe away every tear.

So, God, I pray that You would help us to endure by Your strength, by Your Spirit, by the encouragement of Your Word, and by the uplifting of the body of Christ. Help us to walk through the challenges that we face, knowing that the testing of our faith is producing something, even if we can't see perfectly what it is.

Lord, help us to have that conviction, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.