Friday, May 17 – The End of the Lord

WORD FOR TODAY by PASTOR JESUS FIGUEROA

DAILY DEVOTIONAL * WWW.JESUSFIGUEROA.ORG

Friday, May 17

The End of the Lord

Theme: The Best Is Yet to Come.

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

James 5:11 (NKJV)

Daily Reading Plan

2 Chronicles 24-26

Bible Versions:

James 5:11 (The Word: God’s Message to Me) — “We consider those who have stood firm to be blessed. Moreover, you know about Job’s firmness, and you have seen the happy outcome that the Lord brought about; for the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”

James 5:11 (NLT) — “We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.”

Devotional Thought:

Thank God for the great examples that the Bible gives us of men who have persevered in the midst of their trials and struggles. His Word invites us to consider their lives and take them as an example for our own lives. One such example is Job, a man who, as many know, went through much, but his end was much better than his beginning. We see God’s blessing in its entirety, but only after he had gone through everything, “And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10).

This morning, in the same way, if we desire the best from God, we must be willing to go through the trials in which we find ourselves today. We must understand that without the process, there is no glorious end! Most people want the end of the Lord, but they don’t want the process of the trial! We must always believe that God is in control in the midst of everything we are going through. We must bless God at all times, as Job declared, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21).

Better times are coming, the best times of our lives if we only persevere in God. We learn that Job was not moved by his circumstances, not even by his great losses, or the numerous trials he had to face alone. On the contrary, Job had the firmness, patience, and perseverance to move forward, even when others discouraged him! In Job 2:10 we are told, “He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”

Let us stand firm today, not wavering because of the circumstances we are going through. God has promised us that “The Best Is Yet to Come.” His promise is real and true. God does not lie! We just have to press on toward the goal, move forward toward the future, remaining in the process He has for our lives. Without a doubt, the end of the Lord will be glorious for us!

Key Scriptures:

Job 1:21 (NKJV) — “And he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'”

Job 1:22 (NKJV) — “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.”

Job 2:10 (NKJV) — “But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

Exodus 34:6 (NKJV) — “And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.'”

Proverbs 23:18 (NKJV) — “For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.”

Psalm 37:37 (NKJV) — “Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace.”

1 Peter 1:6 (NKJV) — “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.”

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