Embracing Trials: Finding Hope and Restoration Through Job's Faith Journey

Have you ever wondered how holding onto faith amidst life's fiercest storms could lead to unimaginable blessings? This week on Saturday Faith Fuel, we explore the remarkable journey of Job, a biblical figure who endured immense trials yet remained steadfast in his faith. Join us as we uncover the secrets to finding hope and encouragement when life gets tough. Through Job's story, we witness the profound impact of praying for others and the transformative power of trusting in God's promise of restoration. By maintaining a strong relationship with God and seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance, we can find solace and strength even in the darkest times.

Throughout this episode, we reflect on the divine plan for renewal and how embracing it can bring about a sense of peace and hope. We express gratitude for God's unwavering presence and the companionship of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As we wrap up, we share a lighthearted personal note about the humorous need for new eyeglasses, reminding us of the human connections that bind us together. Whether you're navigating personal trials or seeking ways to support those around you, this message encourages you to engage in open conversations with God and trust in His path for restoration. Join us next Saturday for more inspiration and spiritual renewal.

Chapters

• 0:00 God's Restoration
• 8:52 Divine Prayer for Restoration

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey y'all, welcome back. This is Saturday, faith Fuel, and it's just me coming on and giving just little bits of words of encouragement Stay focused, stop looking at my eyeglass chain, alright y'all. So I wanted to share something at the end of Job, and the reason I'm sharing this is because my intention is to encourage and inspire you if you're going through the things, and if you're not going through the things, I hope that you'll still listen, because maybe you'll be able to leverage this so that you can encourage the person who is going through the things. So if it's not you, maybe it's someone that you know and that we always tie back to scripture. So, lord, we just thank you for another opportunity to come before you, and I just share your word and encourage someone, despite whatever it is they're going through, any loss, any loss, any sadness, anything that they've been going through, that you are the great restorer, that you restore all things back to them, and I thank you for teaching us through your word, through scriptures, and I thank you for teaching us through your word, through scriptures, and I pray that this is a confirmation for someone who is waiting to hear from you, lord, and that you'll bless them and that they'll go back and get into your word and be inspired even more by the Holy Spirit. Amen, all right, so I'm in Job. This is a very, very last chapter Now.

Speaker 1: 1:21

Job has 42 chapters. It is a long book. A lot of folks kind of break it down in pieces and parcels to get a good study. There's so much to cover in Job. And Job was, you know, truly a man of God. He loved the Lord, he sought after the Lord, he had a relationship with God prior to him going through all the losses and all the things. And if you start off at the beginning of the book of Job, you see that there was an agreement. This is kind of where when people say, why did bad things happen, I'm sorry, why do bad things happen to good people? And when I was growing up I would ask that why would bad things happen to good people? And I would be reminded that why would bad things happen to good people? And I would be reminded that why wouldn't it? Why wouldn't it? And that God will allow because God is sovereign over everything will allow certain things. But he said that in Job verse one verse I believe it's a six now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. And it said that in Job, verse one, verse six. Now, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan From where have you come? And you, you keep reading down.

Speaker 1: 2:34

It talks about Satan a lot, allowing being allowed to test Job, but not destroy him. Satan answered the Lord and said does Job fear God? For no reason, have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all he has on every side? You bless the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased. Or stretch out your hand and touch all he has and he will curse you to your face. That's what the devil is saying. You go after, you take everything from Job, his, his wealth, his family, you know everything, his lifestyle, he's all the things. And the Lord said to Satan behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand. And so Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Speaker 1: 3:18

So this was again Job 1. It kind of sets the stage. I said, of all the color, there was a lot of calamities and things. So maybe it's not the same for you, but you are, you've experienced it. You know folks who have lost children and lost jobs and lost, um, financial stability, there's a lot, health, there's a lot of things, and so what I want to do is to encourage you of God's restoration and that that is what his word says concerning this. And so the Lord restores Job's fortune.

Speaker 1: 3:50

It says in verse 10 of chapter 42, and the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends, and that was so powerful. Again, I want you to go back, because there's so much in here that, even though Job was experiencing all of these things, his friends tried to come. They were religious people and they were, you know, trying to pick apart, like why this happened to Job, and these are things you probably should do. You know how it is church mothers, right. These are probably things that went wrong, things you need to do, and this is how you should approach God and all the things. And Job didn't curse his friends, but he prayed for his friends, and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before and ate bread with him in his house. So he had reconciled relationship back, reconciled the loss.

Speaker 1: 4:42

In verse 12, it says and the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, and it talks about the sheep and the camels and the yoke of oxen and the female donkeys Talked about in verse 13,. He had also seven sons and three daughters and he called the name of his first, daughteremima, and the second, kazia. And again you can read all this and after, after this. So after job had gone through all this trial, all the tests, all the loss, all the pain, y'all, he was still holding fast to his, his faith in god. He was still questioning god. He was having a conversation.

Speaker 1: 5:22

Stop being afraid to have a conversation with our maker. Come on, what kind of relationship do you have if you can't have a conversation with your Lord, right? Why are you afraid to ask God? You know why is this happening? Or what do you want me to see? Or help me understand? And you know, lord, I'm not, no matter what happens, I'm not losing my hope, I'm not losing my. I have those conversations with the Lord, right? But just want to remind you that it says, after all these things, that God restored everything, restored it back to Job and he lived 140 years and then he died, an old man and full of days.

Speaker 1: 5:56

So again, I just wanted to remind you. You know, if you're going through the things right now and it's hard when you're in a season where you can't see the end it's not about having a positive mindset. I have a very positive mindset and positive outlook, but it's more than that. My positive outlook and my positive mindset is this way because I have faith in God, because I trust God, because I know God's got me, because I know that all of these things are coming together and working together for my good and that the Lord is going to restore everything. The enemy, or God, has allowed to be taken, that I'm on firm or solid ground.

Speaker 1: 6:35

So I want to encourage you this morning. Maybe your loss isn't health. Maybe your loss is you know you lost a project, you know you're losing peace in your house because the kids are going crazy. Maybe your loss is you know you lost a project, you know you're losing peace in your house because the kids are going crazy. Whatever it is right, whatever it looks like for you, I just want to encourage you and for those of you who are going through a season, you know we have people who have lost their homes, lost lives, lost family members, especially with the storms and the fires and all the things. Okay, but I still wanna encourage you of God's restoration plan and sometimes, you know, I think when we're sitting in the middle of the heat, you're sitting in the middle of the situations. You know, people on the job right now, because companies are doing what companies do they, you know and people do what people do, right, they start fighting to keep their job and they start all the things right that this feels like a little bit of a shift and a turmoil. All the things, regardless of what's happening, regardless of what the devil has set out for you.

Speaker 1: 7:37

Remember that God is not going to let him destroy. Don't lose your faith. He's not going to let the devil steal your salvation and go nowhere. God has not, he's not left you, but God is absolutely sovereign in his word. So I bring back his word to him. Father, in the same way you restored Job, you restore me Right, because this word is alive and real and true. So when I pray, I say Lord, will you restore me? In the same way you restored Job. You restore me a hundred times what the enemy has taken and I pray that that will happen for you.

Speaker 1: 8:11

I hope this blessed you, I hope this makes sense for you and, like I said, if you're not in a season right now, or a moment, as I prefer to call them, where there are tests and trials and loss and things that's happening, then please, what I'm trying to do is to encourage the folks who are going through it. If you are being blessed this season, we thank God for his blessings and we ask, lord, that you multiply your favor on every family represented under the sound of my voice. But for those who are going through any pain or lack of loss or God, I pray that you'll restore to them quickly what was taken. If it was peace, give them peace. If it was health, give them health. If it was finance, give them finance. If it was opportunities, show them the door and open up those doors of opportunity.

Speaker 1: 8:52

Lord God, more than anything, we want more of you, holy Spirit. We thank you for guiding us and blessing us and we thank you for just being our friend and just a partner in life. I thank you, holy Spirit, for all that you have done this morning in touching every one of us, reminding us that, in the same way that our God of yesterday, today and tomorrow restored Job, that you will restore us. Thank you, lord, amen. All right, y'all have a great rest of your Saturday. I will be back next week. You let my eyeglass change. It is what it is.