Third Example of Patient Endurance: Job (5:11-12) - Part 2 of 2

Third Example of Patient Endurance: Job (5:11-12) - Part 2 of 2

Someone might say, "But if God is so merciful, why didn't He protect Job from all that suffering in the first place?" There are certainly things about how God works that we can't understand, but we do know that this challenging time brought glory to God and made Job better. You only learn endurance by going through something.

What did Job's story mean to the people James wrote to, and what does it mean to us now? It means that some of life's problems are caused by the devil directly. God lets Satan test His children, but He always limits how much power the enemy has (Job 1:12; 2:6). When you're in the fire, remember that God is in charge of the thermostat. "But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10).

The devil wants us to be impatient with God because an impatient Christian is a strong weapon for the devil. You will remember from our study of James 1 that Moses' impatience kept him from going to the Holy Land, Abraham's impatience led to the birth of Ishmael, who was the enemy of the Jews, and Peter's impatience almost made him a murderer. It's easy to get impatient and run ahead of God when Satan attacks us, which can cause us to miss out on God's blessing.

What is the answer? "My grace is enough for you" (2 Cor. 12:7–9)! The "messenger of Satan" was Paul's thorn in the flesh. Paul could have fought it, given up, or tried to deny that the thorn was there, but he didn't. He relied on God for the grace he needed and used Satan's weapon to strengthen his own spiritual life.

When in the furnace, ask God for the grace to endure (Heb. 4:14–16). Keep in mind that the Lord has a good reason for all of this pain, and He will carry out His plans in His own time and for His own glory. You are not a machine trapped in the clutches of destiny. You are a child of the God who loves you and you are blessed to be part of a wonderful plan. There is a difference!

The exhortation in James 5:12 appears incongruous; what relevance does “speaking oaths” have to the issue of suffering? If you've ever been through hard times, you know the answer: it's easy to say things you don't mean and even make deals with God when you're going through difficult times. Job is a good example. The patriarch wrote years ago, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (Job 1:21–22). Job did curse the day he was born (Job 3:1ff.), but he never cursed God or made a foolish oath. He also didn't try to make a deal with God.

James was probably reminding us of what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:34–37). The Jews were excellent at using different oaths to back up what they said. They avoided using God's name in their oaths, though, because they wanted to avoid offending God. So, they would swear by Jerusalem, the earth, heaven, or even their heads! But Jesus taught that you can't get away from God in these kinds of oaths. Heaven is where He sits, earth is where He puts His feet, and Jerusalem is the "city of the great King." What is the purpose of swearing with your head? Jesus said in the Gospels that you cannot make one hair black or white (Matt. 5:36)—or even keep one on your head.

A fundamental tenet is that authentic Christian character necessitates minimal verbiage. A person who uses a lot of words (including swearing) to convince us has a character problem and needs to compensate with those words. If you are a Christian and have integrity, people will believe you if you say yes or no. Jesus told us that anything else comes from the devil.

One reason for suffering is to help people grow as people. Job was definitely a better person after going through the furnace. James told us about this process in James 1:2–12. If words serve as a measure of character, then oaths demonstrate the ongoing need for improvement. When Peter swore those oaths in the courtyard (Matt. 26:71), it showed that he still needed to change his ways.

You can see how useful this part is as you read it. James wanted us to be patient when things are challenging. We are waiting for a spiritual harvest, just like the farmer is. We want fruit that will glorify God. We, like the prophets, look for opportunities to witness and tell the truth about God. And like Job, we wait for the Lord to carry out His loving plan, knowing that He will only allow His children to suffer for a reason. And, like Job, we will see the Lord more clearly and get to know Him better because we have been through challenging times.

Be patient, for the Lord is coming soon!