7/22/26

James 5:11 NASB95 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

There are days of scorching heat and days of frostbitten wind. We have experienced them all.

There are days of non-stop crying over the suffering of a loved one and days of crying when they're gone.

There are days of struggling to pay the bills, and days when you have no bills because you have nothing.

There are days of intense pain and days when you feel nothing.

Most people have felt the extreme of suffering in some form or another during their life. If you are a follower of Christ, then you might wonder why. You might ask, "How long must I suffer?"

The endurance of Job speaks of immense suffering in many different ways, yet never doubting the faithfulness of God.

Asking and wondering when it will end is not a lack of faith. Knowing God is faithful in the middle of the tribulation is why you ask Him, when will the suffering stop. Job had not done the things his friends accused him of. He did not understand the reasoning behind his suffering, but he didn't curse God, nor did he quit. Instead, he waited; he endured.

Because of this endurance and faith, Job saw the outcome of the Lord’s dealings: that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

Job spent the rest of his life in the Lord's compassion. After enduring for a little while, he then began his eternity in the presence of the Lord, experiencing His mercy!

Our text starts by saying, We count those blessed who endured.

Why are they counted as blessed? Because they endured in faith, knowing that God would in His time bring compassion and mercy on the faithful!

You might be in the struggles right now. You might be crying out, God, I wonder when it will end. If this is you, let me encourage you to remain faithful in your trust of God because He is faithful to you. Then after you endure for a while, God will respond. Just as Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:10 NASB95: After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

Will you be blessed? The answer comes in Christ. Will you accept Him as Lord? If you will, He will help you endure, and you will be blessed forevermore.

Love Brother Scott