James 5:11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Compassion and mercy, two words I don't know I would have thought to use in the context of Job's story. Yes, God restores Job in the end, but up to that point Job had a pretty rough go of it. So what can we learn from this verse as we think about compassion and mercy in the midst of Job's suffering. I believe God showed his compassion and mercy on Job in that He didn't let satan kill him. That's a basic step and, frankly, not a very great picker-upper if you're Job, "Well, at least you're not dead." Job might have rather been dead at moments. So, where is the Lord's compassion and mercy? God, as Job's father, felt all of the pain and anguish Job was experiencing because He was with Job through all of it. God knew Job's heart, He knew his pain and sorrow and was right there in it with him. God knew what was coming on the other end of the journey, the relationship He and Job were going to have, which was forged out of God's love for Job and Job's love for God through all of the muck. Yes, the Lord shows His mercy and compassion for Job when He restores him, but He walked every step with him on the way to restoration too. We get to experience the same compassion and mercy when we ask Jesus to walk with us through our restoration.
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