There is no doubt in my mind that it is every believer’s portion to have their latter days greater than the former. Apart from the fact that it is written, the life of Christ is a great testimony to that. Indeed Christ was most powerful at His death. As believers, we get better and better here on earth and then we are finally released into glory. What can be greater than glory?
Proverbs 4: 18 “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day”
Just like Job, we are bound to go through difficulties from time to time. Sometimes we attract the difficulties ourselves by being disobedient to the word of God but it is sometimes because God has allowed them to bring us to a better place. At other times, it is just life and life will happen to anyone. Like I said in one of my past blogs, life is tough; and no one is protected from the toughness as long as they are alive but the great thing about being a believer is the fact of God being with us as we go through and come out at a much place. He has promised to be with us through the circumstances and situations that life presents us with.
Ecclesiastes 9: 2KJV “All things happen alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked”
Indeed just the fact of the ups and downs of life is enough to let us know that it is tough. Have you ever been on one of those roller coaster rides? I haven’t but I have spoken to adults who have and confirmed that the roller coaster experience is fun after one has landed safely and are on their feet. The greater challenge for us as believers is God’s expectation of how you ought to carry yourself whilst you are on this rollercoaster called life. You and I are so used to doing what we want when and how we want that we end up messing up so badly in the course of life that we end up having our latter end worse than our beginning.
Our great problem is that a lot of us hate the word denial or even worse is our hatred for discipline. We have grown up allowed to do whatever we want to do when we want to do it so that we now have difficulties obeying God. We hate to hear the truth of God that compels us to give up a bit of who we think we are and so, lose a whole lot more. The truth is God always appears to be asking for a pound of your flesh. That must have been some of Job’s thoughts when God told him to pray for his friends but God must have been helping him with character formation because He did not need him praying for his friends to do what He wanted to do in his life.
Please recall that these were the same friends who disappointed him terribly in his difficult time. Indeed by the end of his travail, he was really tired of and very disappointed at them: he was hurt too. They had said a lot of things that he did not know they ever thought about him. A lot of us would have refused, like spoilt children, to pray for them; and bear in mind that God could see Job’s heart and check the sincerity of his prayer. That was one act of obedience and it released his greater blessings. What are you willing do that your latter end may be greater than you have ever seen or imagined?
Anything God asks me to do. He should please just open my ears to hear, my eyes to see, my heart to understand and then finally the grace to obey completely. Thanks Pastor B. Always a blessing.
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