The Perfect Work of Patience

Could we give God praise in this house tonight? Hallelujah. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed with a mighty hand and a stretched-out arm. Hallelujah. Let all God's people give Him praise. Can we do that for just a moment more tonight? For He is worthy to be praised. He is worthy to be praised.

Oh, what a joy it is to be in the presence of the Lord in the Western District, at this great camp meeting. The presence of the Lord is so rich in this place. Amen. I am so thankful for the great joy of being here tonight. I thank you, Bishop Cantrell. God bless this great district board. Thank you for the invitation to be here. It's a pleasure. Thank you so much. I have a great fondness for this district and for this state. I have a deep heritage right here in this state — the Urshan family. And so good to see my cousin, Pastor McDonald. God bless you, sir. So thankful for the McDonald family, Copple family. Amen. I'm glad to be in the family of Jesus Christ. I'm glad that we've got His name on our birth certificate, that we've got His blood flowing through our veins. I'm glad I've been born into the family of Jesus Christ. Oh, bless His name. Bless His name.

And to be here with Brother Woodward — Bishop Woodward, one of my favorite preachers, and one of my favorite people. Could we honor Brother Woodward tonight? Thank you. Love and honor you, sir. God bless you. Amen. I'm so thankful to be able to be with him any chance I can get. And Bishop Morgan, God bless you. We rejoice in the Lord to see you tonight. What a blessing it is. We thank God for this mighty man of God, and the way the Lord has touched him — praise God — and lifted his voice; and a voice that has blessed all of us and given us direction through the years. We're so blessed. Brother Godwin, good to see you. We were just together a couple weeks ago. Good to see you tonight. Amen. Thank you for indulging me.

I will hasten to the word of the Lord, and we'll invite your attention to the book of James, chapter 1. The book of James, chapter 1. And I want to read a couple of verses of Scripture. There are so many here tonight that are dear friends and loved ones, and I honor all of you. I thank you so much for being here tonight. From the book of James, chapter 1, and I'd like to read verses 2 through 4. I'll also read from the fifth chapter, and we'll read verses 10 and 11 of the fifth chapter of the book of James — verses 10 and 11, rather.

James 1:2-4: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Chapter 5 of the same book — we'll read verses 10 and 11: "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."

I would like to speak to you for a few moments this evening on this subject: The Perfect Work of Patience. The Perfect Work of Patience. Amen. Would you lift your voice with me, and ask the Lord's blessing upon the preaching of His word? I feel the peace of God in this place. Yes, Lord, have Your way. Oh God, I pray, Lord, that You'll make my tongue the pen of a ready writer. Help me, Lord, to preach Your word as You see fit. Help each of us, Lord, to hear Your word, to apply it to our lives. I pray in the name of Jesus that You will speak. Speak, oh God of our salvation. Speak unto us. And I pray You'll let the word of God go forth, finding good ground, accomplishing that whereto it is sent. For this we give You praise in advance, and we lift up the mighty and matchless name of Jesus in this house. And everybody said, in Jesus' name. Everybody said amen. Could you clap your hands one more time unto the Lord? Hallelujah. Amen. You may be seated in the name of the Lord.

I love the book of James. Perhaps we could say that of so many of the different books in our Bible — and we do say that, because they all have some kind of a special nature to them that speaks to us. Many times as a rhema word. And the book of James is a book that just interests me. There's so many parts of it. It's only five chapters long, but there are so many parts to it that have filled our lexicon in our faith — filled vocabulary as we walk with God. Each of us have parts of the book of James that we have quoted to ourselves, that we have quoted to others, to help us in our faith, to increase our faith, and to bless us as we walk with God. Words that he spoke to us, like: "Draw nigh unto Him, and He'll draw nigh unto you." Words such as: "A double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways." It was James who let us know that "ye have not, because ye ask not" — you can finish these for me. He spoke of the devil: he said that we could "submit yourselves therefore to God, and resist the devil, and he will flee from you." He commended us for believing in one God: "Thou believest that there is one God," he said, "thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." On and on. It was James who really dove in and helped us understand just how toxic the tongue of man is. He said that it is the most unruly member of the body, that no man can tame it. He explained to us that it is set on fire of hell, and that it sets on fire the course of nature. But he likened it to the bit put in the horse's mouth — and that it, like that bit, can turn a massive body. He likened it to the helm of a ship, that will do whatever the governor listeth. And he explained to us: that's what your tongue is like. Your tongue can control your actions. You can literally use your tongue to set your course in a good and right way. James helped us understand so many things. I could go on. Even though it's only five chapters long, he's the one that helped us understand that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

And so it is that James spoke so beautifully. But I think it's important to recognize the way he opens his book, and the last two verses we read as our text, found in that final chapter. I mean, right out of the gate, he lets us know what he's really talking about, and dealing with. After he announces who he is, he just comes to us with this word: "My brethren." He calls us "my brethren." "Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations" — when you go through some struggles and some challenges, and find yourself facing the trial of fire, tribulation — "I want you to count it all joy. All joy. Joy. All — all of it. Count all of it joy." And then he explains why. He said: because patience is at work. And if we understood the potent nature of patience — there's a reason why our Lord told us that it is in our patience that we possess our soul. If we truly understood just how pristine, how perfect patience really is, then we would not resist it so much. But when we saw it coming — I know this sounds idealistic — but there would be something in us that would well up with joy. I know: it's unspeakable. It's a joy that is unspeakable. It's something you can't even put into words. It's a peace that passes understanding. But there is a joy. He said to count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations. And he said, "Know ye not" — that's that rhetorical way they would help us understand just how common knowledge it really ought to be to us. Paul would say it that way too: "Know ye not?" It's their way of saying: you ought to know by now, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. "But let patience have her perfect work." When you let patience have her perfect work, it's going to bring you into a place of divine contentment, where you will be perfect and entire — complete, whole, wanting nothing. My goodness — what a place. What a place that would be: to want nothing, to covet nothing, to envy nobody — because there has been such a perfecting work of patience wrought in your life.

And then he comes to the final few verses of his book, and he again addresses patience. And he again calls to us, as his brethren. He said: "Take, my brethren, the prophets, for an example of suffering and affliction." He said: if you really want to know how to suffer affliction, if you really want to know how to be patient, then I want you to take as an example the Old Testament prophets. And then he reaches for one — he reaches for one to pull out of that great collection of holy men of old. And he wants to give us a good example. And he could have chosen from several different individuals. He could have selected Moses, and the children of Israel, who wandered in the wilderness for forty unnecessary years. He could have talked about Noah in the ark, waiting for the waters to abate and to assuage. He could have talked about David, who was a fugitive — anointed, and a fugitive — waiting patiently for his throne to manifest, as he was anointed for it to be. And yet, when James wanted to talk about patience, folks, there's only one man to talk about. He just leapfrogged all of the others, and he went to the granddaddy of all, who is an example of suffering affliction, and the role model, the personification, if you please, of patience itself. And this man is none other than Job. "And ye have heard of the patience of Job." That's what James said to the people of his day. Job was so ancient, even in James's day, that he was letting them know: yeah, you know that guy, way, way, way, way back in ancient times — Job, that ancient man — you've heard of his patience. And yet here we are in 2024, and we are as familiar as ever with the story, with the patience, with the accounting of Job.

And I want to talk a little bit about Job tonight. I want to talk a little bit, Lord willing, about the patience of Job. Because it is a complicated book. It is not an easy topic to wrap our minds around, because we have certain understandings about God. God is good. God is good. And God is just. And God is love. And God is holy. And God is one. And yet — I will be just upfront with you today — when you take the book of Job at face value, it is hard to reconcile those truths about God with what we read in the book of Job. Because the book opens explaining to us who Job is, and what he had accomplished, and gives a description of how esteemed he is, and how well-to-do he is. It describes him in a brief synopsis, a snapshot, of who Job is. And we get this immediate glimpse that he's a good man, and he's got things together, and he's done well for himself, and things are going well in his life. And then, all of a sudden — like with whiplash — the scene shifts into the heavenlies. And God is — the sons of God are presenting themselves to the Lord, and among them comes Satan, among the sons of God. And it's a unique set of circumstances. We don't see this everywhere in the Scriptures. But the sons of God have lined up and are presenting themselves to the Lord, and Satan comes walking among the sons of God. And there's a face-to-face showdown between God and the devil.

And I'm here for it. All right — I've been waiting on this moment for a long time. All right: "I told Satan: get thee behind. Victory today is mine." I can't wait — the devil's going to finally get what he has coming to him. He's face to face with the God of all power. He's face to face with the God who is above all. He's face to face with the God who hung the earth upon nothing, and stretched the north over the empty place, and binds the waters in His garment. He is about to encounter the power of God. And the Lord says, "What are you doing, Satan? What are you doing walking around here? What are you up to?" And that's what I want to — "What are you up to? Why are you even here?" And the devil looks at the Lord and says, "Well, I'm basically just kind of walking about, seeking whom I may devour. I'm just looking to cause some trouble somewhere. I'm just looking to make some mischief someplace." And I'm expecting — God, I can't wait — if I've never read the book of Job, I'm fully expecting the next few verses to include something along the lines of God saying, "I rebuke you in My name. Get thee behind Me, Satan. Get under My feet. I cast you in the outer darkness." That's not what God did. And this is where the story of Job gets complicated. Because the Lord looked at Satan and said, "You're looking for somebody to mess with? You're looking for somebody to cause some trouble with?" "Yeah." And I'm looking back at God, like: what do You have to say about that? And the Lord says, "I've got an idea. I've got somebody in mind. Have you considered My servant — My servant; not My enemy, not My adversary, not My problem child — My servant. Have you considered My servant Job?" And the devil says, "Of course I have. I've been trying to get at Job for a long time, but You've got those pesky hedges up about him, and I couldn't get to him if I wanted to — and I do want to." And the Lord said, "You know, he's a perfect man."

Now, when we talk about Job being a perfect man, it's important to note that that means he was morally pure. It means he abstained from evil things. It's the same Hebrew word used to describe Jacob as a plain man. It means he didn't do bad stuff. It does not mean that he had never committed a sin in his whole life. It's not the same word the Bible translates as "perfect" when describing God. But it does mean that he's morally pure, and he's upright. The Lord said, "He's perfect, he's upright, and one that escheweth evil." And I'm like: yeah, there's a reason this guy's got hedges up about him. He's earned those hedges. He's lived the kind of life that deserves those hedges.

And yet the Lord just says, "Have you considered him? He's a perfect man. He's upright." And the devil said, "Yeah, he's real perfect. He doesn't do bad stuff. You want to know why? Because You protect him. If You take those hedges down, he'll curse You like any other man would curse You." And the Lord said, "Not Job. Job wouldn't do that." He said, "You watch." And the Lord said, "I'll take a hedge down." What? What is happening here? The Lord said, "I'll take one of the hedges down. But you cannot touch his life. And you cannot take his life, and you cannot touch his body. But I'll take down a hedge." And the devil went after Job.

And ladies and gentlemen, there were winds that came from nowhere. It removed everything he had, all in one instance. He lost everything that he had. One bad calamity after another began to emerge — and every ounce of wealth, and his own children — he lost everything he had in his hand, all at once, in a matter of moments. Everything this man had worked all his life to achieve, everything he loved and held dear — it was all stripped from him in that moment. And when that happened — I want you to know how Job responded. This is how Job responded. He said: "Naked came I into the world, and naked will I go out of the world. But blessed be the name of the Lord." Hallelujah.

Now, folks, I love that he said that. I love that he said that, and I shout about it. But I want us to understand: we're shouting about how good Job is, but we're still struggling to figure out what God is doing. We have no problem clapping our hands and shouting for joy over the integrity of Job. But I want you to know that nothing in the book of Job contradicts this truth: God is good. God is love. God is holy. God is just. God is one. God is righteous. God is kind. God is slow to anger. God is full of tender mercies. God is full of lovingkindness. This is all true about God. But we're trying to reconcile that truth when reading the book of Job.

And so, the devil comes back. And God said, "I told you Job would respond the way that he did." And the devil says, "Well, yeah — but You took the teeth out of it. You let me touch his body. You let me afflict him with disease. You let me take him down physically, and he'll curse You to Your face." And the Lord said, "All right. I'll take down the hedge from his body. But you cannot take his life." And ladies and gentlemen: affliction, disease, sickness, and boils. He described his bones protruding from his body. It was a horrific sight. It was a horrific trial of his faith. And folks, it just doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

The Bible says that there were comforters that came to him. Comforters that came to him. If somebody calls you a "Job's comforter," they're not calling you a comforter. These were people who should have comforted him — but when they got to where he was, nothing could have prepared them for what it was they saw. They were expecting to see the mighty man Job. They were expecting to see the wealthy man Job. They expected to see the wise man Job — the man that people fawned after and looked to for wisdom, this ancient man who knew so many things. But when they got there, he's covered in sackcloth and ashes. His face is disfigured. And they hid, if you please, as it were, their faces from him. He seemed stricken. He seemed smitten of God. He seemed afflicted. He seemed wounded. He seemed bruised. He seemed chastised.

You see, to understand the book of Job, you have to understand one verse in the book of John that Jesus spoke, in John 5 and verse 39. He said this: "Search the scriptures." It was this admonishment to all of us who are seeking meaning and understanding. And He admonishes us to search the Scriptures. And He's talking to people who could quote the Scriptures. He's talking to people who would gladly quote any one of us under the table tonight — people who could gladly quote to you any Levitical statute or ordinance, or some kind of a mundane genealogy from the Chronicles. They could quote the Scriptures. But Jesus comes back at them and says, "Search them." That's right: you can quote them, but you miss the point in them. "You think you have eternal life — but they are they which testify of Me."

Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to understand that Noah's ark wasn't just about a big boat that saved people. It is "the like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us." It was testifying of Jesus. That blood that Moses painted on the doorpost the night of the Passover — that wasn't just about the firstborn of Israel. It was also about the precious blood of Christ that redeems us from our sin. Hallelujah. It was testifying of Jesus. When you look at that rock that was hewn out of the mountain without hands, or that rock that had fire come out of it, or that rock that water came out of it, or that rock that had honey inside of it, or that rock that Jacob laid his head upon, or that rock that David put in the forehead of Goliath — all of it was testifying of Jesus. Nothing they went through was just about them. Everything they went through testified of Jesus.

This is why, when you hear Jesus utter words you and I can't even fathom — we can't even fathom the depth of despair that caused Him to utter these words — but He sang it out. He sang the old psalm: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" Jesus wasn't the first one to say that. David said it, when he was running for his life. David didn't even know, when he uttered the words, that he was uttering words Jesus would literally say while He was being nailed to the old rugged cross. Because David's life, as a fugitive, was not just about David being a fugitive. It was to testify that there is an innocent man who is going to suffer for no good reason at all.

And I've come to preach to somebody who's suffering tonight: you are not suffering simply to suffer. There is a testimony emerging. There's a testimony emerging.

Job sat there and listened to the accusation of his comforters. They accused him from chapters 4 to 31. That is the bulk of the book of Job. I've preached tonight only about the first three chapters — that's all I've even covered. The book is 42 chapters long, and the bulk of the book isn't even about the first three chapters. It's about a dialogue between this innocent man and these accusers of the brethren. And they are trying to tell him that he's done something to bring this upon himself. And they expound on things they feel they know about God, and they let Job know what's real and what's not, and what's true. And they begin to tear at his integrity, and pick at his character. And they begin to try to weaken his resolve. And Job actually gets defensive of his own righteousness. He starts to put his defenses up, and say, "No, no, I didn't — I didn't do this to myself. I didn't bring this upon myself. This isn't my fault. God is up to something. I don't know what He's doing. It doesn't make sense to me. But it's not on me. Listen: I went forward, and I couldn't find Him. I went backward, and He wasn't there. I went to the left hand, where He doth work — I'm used to seeing His power over here, on the left hand — but it was nowhere to be found. I went to the right hand, and He was hiding Himself from me. 'But He knoweth the way that I take: and when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold' — tried in the fire." Hallelujah. You begin to hear — you can hear the testimony of Jesus in the defense of Job. As Job defends himself, he actually calls out things Jesus would actually do. He said things like, "I was eyes to the blind" — Jesus opened the eyes of the blind. He said, "I was feet to the lame" — Jesus would heal the feet of the lame. He said, "I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy" — Jesus — I thought of it when He raised the son of the widow of Nain, her son, from the dead — caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. Job said, "I was a father to the fatherless." I thought about those disciples — you preached about, Brother Woodward, so beautifully, those disciples. Hallelujah. He said, "I was a father to the fatherless."

You have to understand that before Job went through this trial, he was innocent. He was perfect. He was upright. And he goes through a trial that he did not deserve. Who does that sound like to you? If I were to tell you that there was a perfect man who had to suffer, that there was an innocent man who had to go through things he didn't deserve — who does that sound like to you? I want you to understand something, ladies and gentlemen: God needed His gospel in that generation to be declared. "I need an innocent man to suffer for no good reason at all. I need him to go so low. I need him to drop down near to hell. I need him to faint in the way. And then I'm going to raise him up. I'm going to lift him up, and all will see My glory."

Brother Woodward, I've had to stop saying, "I don't know why we have to go through certain things." I've had to stop saying it, because I think I know why: to testify of Jesus. I think I know. I think I know why we've got to go through some things. I think I know why we've got to be nailed to crosses sometimes: to testify of Jesus. I think I know why we suffer sometimes, when we don't deserve it: to testify of Jesus. There is no greater testimony of Jesus than when a perfect man suffers. Be patient, my brother. Be patient, my sister. Patience is working a perfect work. Patience is doing something that only patience can do. Blessing can't do this. Gifts from God can't do this. Only patience can do this.

They accused him; he defended his righteousness. They alleged things against him; he defended his purity. He didn't even know what he was really defending: the righteousness of Christ. But they accused him. They condemned him. They alleged, for several chapters — chapters 4 through 31 — until finally, a young man couldn't take it anymore. He tried to keep his mouth quiet, but Elihu was sitting here, watching this dialogue, this back and forth — can't take it anymore. He said, "My wrath is kindled." You know why his wrath was kindled? His wrath was kindled at the accusers, because they condemned, but didn't have answers. That's what the Bible says. Elihu's wrath was kindled because they condemned — they were good at condemning, they were good at pointing out the obvious — but they had no solution and no answers. And his wrath was kindled against Job, because Job was righteous in his own eyes. The attack of his comforters positioned him in a place where he was defending his own righteousness. And Elihu just spoke into the middle of it and said, "All right, I've had enough. I can't do this anymore. You guys are all supposed to be smarter than me. You've been through a lot more than me. But I'm not hearing a lot of wisdom right now, and I've got to speak to it. Job — snap out of it, man. Snap out of it. You don't owe them any explanation. God is good, Job. God is just. And I may not be able to explain what His reasoning is, but I know something about Him: there's a perfectly good reason for all of it. And we'll understand it better by and by. And once we come through on the other side, we'll come out rejoicing, with timbrel in hand, and a song on our tongue, with a dance in our step."

I feel a holy anointing in the house of God tonight. God is coming up beside somebody, and He's telling you: be patient. Be patient. You're coming through this. You're coming out of this. You're going to bring glory to Me when it's all said and done. "Dost thou know, Job, the balancing of the clouds?" Don't you know that God balances us in the same way that He balances the earth? He's going to bring fruit from our lives. "Job — Job, I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. I will not sit here and let Him be defamed. He's a good God."

All of a sudden, a cyclone shows up. A whirlwind — a tornado appears. And the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. Now, remember what Elihu's issue was with the comforters? His issue with them was that they condemned, but did not have answers. The whirlwind shows up — and the whirlwind has answer. I'm going to tell you what doesn't have answers: when I look at those accusers, and those Job's comforters, I see the Pharisees. I see the Sadducees. I see the scribes. I see their condemnation of Christ. I see them leveling accusation. But their law doesn't have any answers. Their old, ancient traditions that they added to the law — it doesn't have any answers. There are no answers in the words of Job's comforters. And there were no answers in the law of Moses. But I'll tell you what does have the answer: the whirlwind has an answer. I tell you what does have an answer: that rushing mighty wind has an answer. I tell you what does have an answer: that wind that blew at Pentecost. That wind that blew at Pentecost. You're going to find the answers in the whirlwind. There are answers in repentance. There are answers in baptism in Jesus' name. There are answers in receiving the Holy Ghost. There are answers in the Oneness of God. There are answers in holy living. There are answers in the whirlwind.

The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. Brother Krell: He said, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Stand up. Gird yourself like a man. Instruct the Almighty. Come on, Job — you know so much. Talk to Me." God presents a master class concerning the wisdom of God over the next four chapters. But if you take close note, He is addressing things that Job and Job's comforters all expounded on throughout the book. They talked about the donkey — He talked about the donkey. They talked about the ice — He talked about the ice. They talked about the dew — He talked about the dew. They talked about the constellations — He said, "Tell Me about those constellations. Y'all were talking about that, right? Come on, Job — tell Me. Teach Me. Expound. I'm waiting. I'm hungry. I'm an eager listener. Do you understand Orion? Do you understand the Pleiades? Where were you, Job, when I laid the foundations of the earth? Come on, Job — I need you to talk. You've been doing a lot of talking. I want you to talk to Me. Instruct the Almighty. Where were you when the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy? Hath the rain a father? Who hath begotten the rain? And who hath begotten the dew? And how is the dew distilled, exactly? And what is ice? And how are waters hid inside of a stone? Explain these things to Me, Job. The conies are but a feeble folk. Let Me talk to you about the wild donkey." And on and on.

Finally He gets to chapter 40, and Job realizes: "I think I may have overstepped here in my complaint." And he says, "Lord, I'm really sorry for saying—" God said, "I'm not done. Let Me talk to you about Behemoth — that big, giant land creature." And He began to reveal to Job Job's inadequacy at dominion — his lost dominion as a fallen man. He began to explain to him: "You can't control Behemoth. What are you going to do — domesticate him? You going to put him on a leash? You're going to keep him in your backyard, throw him a bone every now and then? That's what you're going to do with Behemoth? You can't handle Behemoth, because you're a fallen man. And man has lost his dominion. What about Leviathan? Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook? You going to put him on your little stringer, and put him in your bass boat? That's what you're going to do with Leviathan?"

And in all of this, Job is reduced — and reduced, and reduced, and reduced. Hear me, ladies and gentlemen: let the word and the wind, the power and the presence, the patience of God — the perfect work that patience is working — is reducing us. Reducing us to a place of total surrender. Total surrender. To the point that the Bible says: Job, he repented. A perfect man, who repented. What is that? An innocent man, who had to repent. How does that even make sense? But he did. That's how holy God is. Your greatest — listen: it's your righteousness that is as filthy rags — not your unrighteousness. Your righteousness — your actual righteousness. I'm talking about the good stuff. I'm talking about your résumé. I'm talking about the stuff in your bio. I'm talking about what's engraved on your plaques. That righteousness is as filthy rags.

Job reduces to a place of repentance. He surrenders. He said, "God, I have uttered things that are too wonderful for me. I've said things I don't really understand. I repent before You." He confessed himself to God. He repented in dust and ashes, completely surrendered and submitted to God. And God said, "That's it — right there. Right there." He said, "Job, you have said that which is right in My sight, and I have accepted you." Then God did something interesting. God said, "Hey — Bildad, Zophar, Eliphaz — the comforters — come here. Yeah, you guys. You accusers. You condemners. Come here. Job — stay right where you are. Don't move. Don't move, Job. Don't move. Stay in sackcloth, dust, ashes. Stay repentant. Stay humble. Stay surrendered. Stay submitted. You're accepted. Bildad, Zophar, Eliphaz — come here. I want to tell you something. I was going to charge you with your folly. I was going to judge you. The wrath of My power was going to be poured out upon you, because you have not spoken that which is right. You are in the crosshairs of My judgment. But Job is accepted. Job — pray for them."

Oh, my goodness. That's it. That's why. That's why all of it — that was the reason for the whole trial: was to save those men. This is why Job 42:10 contains these paradoxical words. The Bible says: when Job prayed for his friends, the Lord turned the captivity of Job. Just as quickly as it came — poof — it's gone. Why? Because mission accomplished: salvation had come.

See, don't you know that's the testimony of Jesus? "He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And with His stripes we are healed." Don't you know that He suffered not for His sin? He was without sin. "He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us." What do you think He meant when He said, "Take up your cross and follow Me"? Because you're going to have to get nailed to it, here and there. There'll be people who nail you to it. There'll be circumstances that nail you to it. And yes, there will be sometimes that even God says, "I have to have an example of somebody who can suffer affliction and endure the fiery trial." This is a generation that knows not God. This is a skeptical, cynical, unrighteous, ungodly generation. And the only thing that will make them believe is the death and the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. "I need a servant. Is there a servant? Is there a servant in the house that'll let Me nail them? That will let Me allow them to suffer, so others can be saved?"

Oh, they were terrified that Joseph was going to just come at them with such a fierce indignation. And Joseph did have to [collect] his composure. But when he finally collected himself, he came back to them and said: "Do not be afraid. You meant it for evil. You meant it for evil. The devil meant it for evil. The condemners and the accusers meant it for evil. But God — God was going to use the false allegation. God was going to use the rejection of my brethren. God was going to use the betrayal from my loved ones. God was going to use all of it." And let me here tell you something, ladies and gentlemen: God's going to use your fiery trial. God's going to use your tribulation. God's going to use your suffering. Job — Joseph said, "He sent me before you. He sent me before you, to save many people — to save much people alive." Hallelujah.

Suffering does something that blessing can't do. Blessing is just that: it's a blessing. There are no strings attached. It's just the good and perfect gift of God. There are no strings attached. It's just the blessing of the Lord. But suffering is not just suffering. It does have other things attached to it. There are other nuances going on with suffering. You're not suffering just to suffer. You're suffering to save somebody nearby. I'm going to tell you right now: the latter end is going to be greater than the beginning. The end of the thing is going to be better than the beginning. God's going to restore it double. God's going to give it back. The life at the end is going to be better than it was. Those good old days are going to pale in comparison to the glory that's coming. "I reckon I reckon that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed." It's coming. Blessing is coming. The captivity is turning.

God has been making you the acceptable intercessor for the people to whom you minister. Somebody lift your hands to Him right now, and believe, and receive the word of the Lord. There are going to be people saved, who have been watching you suffer, who have been watching you struggle, who have been watching you go through this fiery trial. God is drawing them. God is going to give them eternal life. God is leading them unto salvation. I need somebody to believe it with all of their heart right now. Come on — lift up a praise unto the good, and righteous, and just, and holy God.

God's not playing games with your life. God's not up there just having fun, saying, "Let's see if Job can take it. Let's see if they can handle it." That's not what God is doing. He's got a master plan. He's got a perfect work He's working. And patience is what works perfect works.

Stand with me right now, with uplifted hands and an uplifted voice, in this house. The Spirit of the Lord wants to minister to you, in Jesus' name. I want some folks that feel the crushing weight of your fiery trial — I want you to run to the front of this house, and I want you to seek the goodness of God. I want you to know: He's a good God. He has not forsaken you. He has used you for the most holy and most noble purposes. Let patience have her perfect work. You're going to come out of this thing perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. He is the King of glory."