To strengthen his admonition to the brethren to the end that they should not grumble, James dug into history. He referred to Job, a man who though was righteous went through the severe trial of faith. He lost everything he had acquired. He lost his children. Then his health took a hit. If anyone had a legitimate reason to grumble, it was Job. If his misfortune was due to a wicked lifestyle, then it could be argued that he reaped what he sowed. However, his righteousness was loud, so loud that God boasted about it to Satan. How then do we explain his ordeal? Job had no answer for his predicaments. His friends theorised to no end about them. They summed his experience as a consequence of undisclosed sin, but Job maintained his integrity, even in the face of all odds. He neither murmured nor gave up on God. “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” (Job 1:22 NKJV).
Job maintained his integrity, even in the face of all odds. He neither murmured nor gave up on God…If it is tough and rough at the moment, God has something better reserved for us at the end.”
At the end of it all, the tide turned! “Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters.” (Job 42:12-13 NKJV). What can we learn from the story of Job? Three things are salient. First of all, we must judge God faithful in all things. While we may not have an immediate clue to every dilemma, we must at least have faith that God is just and knows exactly what He is doing. Secondly, we should learn to substitute murmuring with worship. When all the bad news kept rolling in, Job went to worship! This is how we know that worship is not singing to God because you are happy. It is submission to the will of God, no matter how tough. Finally, Job would ask us to fix our attention on the end. If it is tough and rough at the moment, God has something better reserved for us at the end.
