Daily Devotional – April 18

Christian Truth

Mankind has often pondered the question, “What comes after this life?” Do we just simply cease to exist and return to the dust of the earth? Or is there more to our existence than our physical bodies? The Bible is clear that we will be held accountable for our lives after death, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). It also states, “ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 emp. added) and “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) We will face a holy and just God after death, and this is indeed a scary reality for those who have not accepted the forgiveness offered through the sacrificial death of Jesus. Yet, how do we know there will be a life after death? One answer comes in the most unlikely of places – the book of Job. Before his trials, Job was blessed with wealth, health, and happiness. He had 7 sons, 3 daughters, 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 pairs of oxen, and 500 donkeys (Job 1:2-3). Stricken by disaster, which few men have endured before or since, Job lost everything. He was urged by his wife and closest friends to blame either God or his own sins for his problems - yet Job steadfastly refused to do either. Blaming God would defame the character of God, and Job knew he had not sinned in a way that should have brought such misery upon his life. Yet, it never entered Job’s mind to deny the very existence of God. Job begged to know why such agony had fallen upon him and in the end, God rebuked his antagonists while rewarding Job’s steadfast faithfulness by doubling his losses with 14,000 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 pairs of oxen, 1000 donkeys, 7 more sons and 3 more daughters (Job 42:12-13). Compare the original list with the final list. Notice that the Lord doubled all of Job’s possessions …except for his children. Why? Because death does not end our existence. Job’s original 7 children did not cease to exist; they had simply stepped through the door we call death and would see Job again (if they were judged righteous). So in reality, by giving Job another 10 children, the Lord also doubled his children. Had he been given 20 more children, it would have been as if the original 10 had ceased to exist, and this is not the case!

He had also seven sons and three daughters.

~ Job 42:13

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.