I know what you were thinking when you read Chapter 41. You saw the heading of the chapter (Who Can Oppose the Crocodile?), you saw the word "leviathan" used in 41:1, but I know what you were thinking as you read this chapter. Check this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8trsDPpAI5E. It will be a good use of 1:56 of your time.
So in the end, Job has everything restored, even getting more. We're told in 42:10 that God gave Job twice as much as he had before, and the numbers in the verses detailing his wealth in Chapters 1 and 42 attest to that. So, does that make it worth it? In other words, are we tempted to view our "sufferings" as potential investments that will yield rewards?
I'm sure you don't and quite likely had never even considered that thought. But just in case that thought creeps in your head, remember what God says at the beginning of today's reading: "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?" I won't speak for you, but I'll take a big PASS on that one. We WILL have trials and difficulties in our lives, there WILL be times where we just don't understand why things are happening to us, and it WILL be difficult--I won't sugar-coat it. At the risk of pontificating, it is precisely these times that help define and strengthen us. We find out who our true friends are, we find out what we really can do when pressed, and we usually (not always) learn that things aren't always as bad as we conceive them to be.
Regardless of whether this is the first time you've read Job or your a grizzled veteran, I hope you enjoyed it. Even for Job, when he was at his lowest, he never stopped believing in God. May we be as diligent and faithful in our own lives.
Scott
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