Articles
Is Giving Up an Option?
Input
With all ten of Job’s children dead, his wealth gone, and now his health, his wife advised him, “‘Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 2:9-10).
What if Job had done as she said? Would he have been better off?
Outcome
The end of Job’s story proves that holding onto God ultimately brings great reward. “And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:12).
“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).
True, Job questioned God’s justice and wondered why he suffered as he did, but he never gave up on God.
Who can best survive hardship? The person who believes that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
Nothing!
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
