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Mourning into dancing!
by Spurgeon-
"The Lord turned the captivity of Job."
Our longest sorrows have an ending, and there is a bottom to the
profoundest depths of our misery. Our winters shall not frown
forever; summer shall soon smile. The tide shall not eternally ebb
out; the floods must retrace their march. The night shall not hang
its darkness forever over our souls; the sun shall yet arise with
healing beneath its wings.
"The Lord turned the captivity of Job."
Thus, too, our sorrows shall have an end when God has gotten
His end in them. The ends in the case of Job were these--
1. That Satan might be defeated, foiled with his own weapons,
blasted in his hopes when he had everything his own way.
God, at Satan's challenge, had stretched forth His hand and
touched Job in his bone and in his flesh; and yet the tempter could
not prevail against him, but received his rebuff in those conquering
words, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." When Satan is
defeated, then shall the battle cease.
2. The Lord aimed also at the trial of Job's faith.
Many weights were hung upon this palm tree, but it still grew
uprightly. The fire had been fierce, yet the gold was undiminished;
only the dross was consumed.
3. Another purpose the Lord had was His own glory.
And truly He was glorified abundantly. God has gotten unto His
great name and His wise counsels, eternal renown, through that
grace by which He supported His poor afflicted servant under the
heaviest troubles which ever fell to the lot of man.
4. God had another end, and that also was served--
Job had been sanctified by his afflictions.
His spirit was mellowed, and any self-justification which lurked
within was fairly driven out. And now that God's gracious designs
are answered, He removes the rod; He takes the melted silver
from the midst of the glowing coals. God does not afflict willingly,
nor grieve the children of men for nothing, and He shows this by
the fact He never afflicts them longer than there is a need for it.
He never allows them to be one moment longer in the furnace
than is absolutely requisite to serve the purposes of His wisdom
and of His love.
"The Lord turned the captivity of Job."
Despair not, then, afflicted believer; He that turned the captivity
of Job can turn your captivity. He shall make your vineyard again to
blossom and your field to yield her fruit. You shall again come
forth with those that make merry, and once more shall the song of
gladness be on your lip.
Let not despair rivet his cruel fetters about your soul. Hope yet,
for there is hope concerning this matter. Trust still, for there is
ground of confidence- He shall bring you up again, rejoicing, out
of captivity, and you shall yet sing to His praise--
"You have turned my mourning into dancing: you have
put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness."
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