Forgiveness Brings Restoration

Job’s story is a difficult one to read for some people. In my experience, I actually read the book of Job during one of the most difficult periods of my life. The book helped me to identify with very difficult emotions. Counsellors believe that people who are hurting, sometimes need help with tapping into their emotions. This is because prolonged suppressing of difficult emotions can lead to numbness. This can result in symptoms of lethargy that can be described as a flat effect, where people struggle to express emotions. Therapists view the healthy expression of emotions in a safe environment, to be healthy and important for emotional well-being.

To summarise Job’s story, he lost everything from his children, his possessions and even his health came under attack. Job was a wealthy man, so he had a lot to lose, along with his seven sons and three daughters. Job actually took pride in his children and offered regular consecration to God on their behalf. When Job’s children died he did not accuse God or sin against him. “And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord”” (Job 1:21). When Job’s health failed, his wife was frustrated with their existence. “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die”” (Job 2:9).

Job rebuked his wife and did not listen to her suggestions. His three friends came and sat with him as he grieved. For seven days they remained silent, as they understood how broken Job was. He spoke first and cursed the day his was born. After this, his friends spoke one at a time and each of them seemed to scold him for his words. They suggested that perhaps he had sinned and brought God’s wrath upon himself and accused him of being wicked. Each time they spoke, Job responded to defend himself. In the end, God himself responded to Job’s cries and lamentations. ““Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge” (Job 38:2)?

Following God’s challenge to Job, he confessed and repented before God for all that he has said. God also rebuked Job’s friends and instructed them to offer a sacrifice. In the end, Job was asked to pray for his friends so that God would turn his anger away from them. I wonder how easy it was for Job to pray for his friends, after they spent days speaking so harshly towards him. Imagine having friends like those when you have lost everything. Nevertheless, Job prayed for them. After he prayed, God restored to him twice as much as he had before. He had to have a heart of love and forgiveness towards his friends in order to pray for them. As he obeyed God and prayed, he was restore double.

I believe that bitterness and resentment can block the flow of restoration. “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). Pray for the person who has hurt and offended you and trust God to restore you. Tell God how you feel and confess to him all of the difficult emotions that you are harbouring. God will heal you and restore you.

A.P.-Y.

Published
August 8, 2022August 8, 2022