PERMANENCE OF PURPOSE

“Then Job replied to the LORD: I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted” – Job 42:1-2

In order to experience its perfection, it is vital that we understand the PERMANENCE of PURPOSE: “Then Job replied to the LORD: I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:1-2, NIV). The greatest theme in the book of Job is the revelation of the character of God Himself. Job, having been processed through the furnace of affliction, came to the realisation that God can do everything: no germinating or budding thought is hidden from Him. He sees and knows it alike in its origin, development, and culmination. The striking destinies of individual lives are constant proofs of the presence of Him who governs the world in power and with purpose!

It took Job some time to come to an understanding that he was indeed a guilty sinner – not for what he had done but for who he was – and that he had neither the cause nor the right to justify himself or to question the sovereignty of the omniscient and omnipotent God. For a season, all that Job had was a shallow knowledge of God, but after his encounter with the Lord he received a deeper and more intimate revelation of Who God is. His whole world had collapsed in one day and he became miserably mocked by his friends and the laughing stock of the community. Job, in attempting to justify himself demanded of the Lord to know why – why should this happen to one such as he, who believed in God? Why should he suffer so?

After his encounter with the God of the universe, Job realised that God knows all things, can do anything, and must be trusted unquestioningly, to be in charge of everything without interference or accusations from those, whose understanding of His deep things are so myopic. Job was indeed falsely accused by his friends – but the issue was not his good name that was at stake but the honour of the Lord – for by falsely accusing Job these friends indirectly accused God. Finally, Job came to understand that God has the right to do anything without His creatures challenging His authority. His purposes cannot be thwarted. But to attain this level of understanding there had to be a deep humbling of himself before God and a true repentance – not from sin but a repentance of who he was – that in him dwells no good thing.

Someone once said that the Son of God is revealed TO us by the teaching of men, but the Son of God is revealed IN us by the illumination by the Holy Spirit. This was the exciting outcome of Job’s encounter with God and the lesson of faith and trust that God desires for all His children to understand: God can do anything, and He has the right to do whatsoever He will – and nothing that He plans and purposes is impossible – for He alone is God.

Once God has established His purposes for our lives – no one can change it. They are enduring, lasting, and permanent. The door God shuts, no man can open and the door He has opened, no man can shut. People will wear themselves out in efforts to make things turn sour for believers, yet God will ultimately accomplish His plans. We as believers in Christ can take courage that He works everything for our good, even the most challenging situations in life. God’s Purpose is the one that lasts: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Pro. 19:21, NIV).

Human life is like a vapour; however, God’s purposes can be fulfilled throughout multiple generations. We can make our plans and set out to see them accomplished, but if we don’t trust God, pray, and seek His direction, we could find ourselves drifting in an ocean of problems without a sail. Every plan should begin and end with God in mind first. He’ll defend and protect His purposes in our lives: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom.11:29).