Much has been said about Job and the trials he went through. The Old Testament records 42 chapters of his life and the lessons we can learn from it. The New Testament however only mentions Job one time. It tells us in James 5:11, "...Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." The New King James version uses the phrase "the end intended by the Lord" to describe Job's outcome. So we are told to remember Job's patience, which means a steadfast endurance, and remember the Lord's intended end for Job's trial. Scripture tells us that Job was blessed with twice as much as he originally had when the trial was over.

I believe the key to Job's patience was the integrity that he displayed . It was the undergirding strength of his patience during the trial. In chapter 2, verse 9 he held fast to that integrity and refused to "curse God and die." God even told Satan that Job was a "perfect and upright man" in verse 3 of that same chapter. That was a direct reference again to Job's high level of integrity. It did not mean that Job was without fault, it meant that Job was able to withstand the pressure that Satan would put on him! In the construction industry, the word "integrity" is used to describe the amount of stress a building can handle without cracking! It's integrity will cause it to stand for a long time.

As this new year begins, let's all keep a high level of integrity active when the pressures of life are applied to our lives. God's grace will allow us to stand strong when the enemy tries to pressure us into "cracking." The end result of that integrity may very well be twice as much blessing for our lives! Have a great week!

Back to Archives...