But the needy will not always be forgotten But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. (Psalm 9:18) What better example can be given in context with this verse other than the one of Job, who almost lost everything because of no fault of his. Why Job suffered is not very easy to understand, but as the saying goes, "All's well that ends well." A tete-a tete between God & satan resulted in great catastrophes in Job's life. He lost his children, his riches, his servants etc. etc. and finally he lost his health, both bodily & mental. To add to that he had to bear the taunts of his wife and friends. Job wished to die and I guess anyone in his shoes would have desired the same, yet he just held on to his one hope in life- his Redeemer. He pleaded with God to kill him, but God had other plans. Who would ever think that someone in Job's state could recover? His was an utterly hopeless case. As some physician's label patient's who cannot be healed by medical science as a "cold case", here was a perfect one. Whatever it be, God just decides on things and does it and He had decided long before, the end of Job. Not as satan would want it, but according to His perfect plan. Not only give him back his health & wealth but also offspring's who would keep Job happy for several decades. And the book of Job has a neat ending indeed. "After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years." (Job 42:10-17) So what the Psalmist says here in Psalm 9:18, is the perfect truth. "But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish." Compassion Ministries International |