And Job Lived Happily Ever After . . . Or Did He?, Part 3

Bill Meyer: Today, from Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll. Douglas MacArthur wrote on his 75th birthday: "In the central place of every heart, there is a recording chamber. So long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, and courage, so long are you young. But when the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then and only then have you grown old." What do you do with a gift you didn't earn and could never repay? For Job, his fiery season of suffering finally cooled. The long night gave way to morning, and from the hand of God came blessing upon blessing, more than he'd lost, more than he'd dreamed. But here's the beautiful thing: those blessings weren't just for Job. Woven through his story is hope for you, wherever you find yourself today, right now, in your own fire. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll continues a message titled "And Job Lived Happily Ever After . . . Or Did He?"
Chuck Swindoll: I find when I get to the 10th verse of this last chapter of his book that it begins to list for me no less than four great rewards that came his way. Four gold-like blessings from the hand of God. And I enumerate them for us so that you might take hope where you find yourself today. Your rewards will be different because our trials are different. The blessings that come your way ultimately will not be the same as Job's necessarily, but these are his and you will have yours. Take heart. The first of the four blessings I find in verse 10 and verse 12 of Job 42: Job's possessions are doubled. The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends. And the latter part of the verse explains what that means: "The Lord increased all that Job had twofold." Now, there's a second blessing that comes in verse 11: his relatives and friends emerge. Notice what these people did when they came. They came to him and they ate bread with him in his house, and they consoled him, and they comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. What a great family reunion. That brings me to a third blessing that came his way: Job's children are all replaced. Verse 13, he had seven sons and three daughters. Let's say they did, okay? She had a little hand in that. They're both getting up in years, okay? And one day she says to Job, "You're not going to believe this, but I think I'm pregnant." He goes, "Say what?" Let's just say they're both 70, okay? Let's just start there. Here's Job laughing with his wife over the fact she's going to have a baby, takes maternity clothes out of mothballs and says, "I guess I can fit back into that." Not just once, not twice—we're talking ten pregnancies. He and his wife are given the ability to reproduce, and regardless of their ages—and we're not told exactly what it is—they get to enjoy the blessings of parenting, get this, with the wisdom of grandparents. You can't beat that combination. How often we have said, "I so wish I knew then what I now know. I'd have been such a better parent." Well, they have the chance for a second time around. They don't make the mistakes they made the first time, or many of them. They got seven boys and they got three daughters. We read a little about the girls here, not anything about the boys. We read their names: Jemima and Kezia and Keren-happuch. Notice something else about the daughters—not only their names, but they're lovely. In all the land, no women were found so fair as Job's daughters. Isn't that great? In all the land, there was none so fair. And their father—here's the third fact, not only their names and their beauty within and without—but their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. How unusual, but understand, this is before the Mosaic law. Now, the fourth of the great blessings have to do with his later years: the blessings of a long and satisfying life. You read of them in 16 and 17. Let's say Job is about 70 by the time the healing comes and the recovery, and he's lived a full life. And now we read that he lives 140 years after this, after the trials. And now he enters, if you will, a second phase of life. If you add 70 to this, you come up with 210 years of life. How great that must have been for him. In fact, look at what we read: he saw his sons and his grandsons and great-grandsons. It says four generations: sons, grandsons, great-grandsons, maybe great-great depending on where the generations would start. It's not clear from this. And then he died. In a sweet way, it appears he dies an old man and full of days. The message reads, "Then he died, an old man, a full life." Living Bible renders this, "Then at last he died, an old, old man, after living a long, good life." You know, men and women, not much is said in any circle about those who are aging. It's sort of the overlooked segment of life, even though there are more of this particular category than ever before in our history of humanity. So we linger here long enough to not only have a little fun with it, but to draw some lessons from it. This is a man who has seen a lot of life. It's said of Abraham, he breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life. And he was gathered to his people—probably a reference of joining his people in the afterlife; we would say in heaven. It was said of David, "Then he died in a ripe old age, full of days, riches and honor." Job is not dying a struggling, cranky, broken old codger whom no one enjoyed being around. This man is seeing his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren. He is reliving so much of life and passing along so many of the things that he has learned. One of my sources says the patriarchal formula "old and full of years" is expressive of a completely fulfilled life. What a way to die—not as we began "living happily ever after," that's not possible. We're on this earth, we still have a sin-cursed nature, we still must deal with a hostile world and nature in others that is less than desirable. But there can be satisfaction. There can be fulfillment. There can be a purpose. Age is not kind to the human body. There are things that occur that even those very effective in their earlier years find begin to fade. You who are younger have no idea what that feels like. Let's learn from a passage like this the value of helping those who are aging enjoy a more satisfying life. Douglas MacArthur wrote on his 75th birthday: "In the central place of every heart, there is a recording chamber. So long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, and courage, so long are you young." "But when the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then and only then have you grown old." It's my experience to be in an enviable place where I am in life, especially as it relates to ministry and to my connection with Dallas Seminary. You have no idea, unless you're where I am as often as I am, you have no idea of the pleasure that I get from being with men who are my mentors, who taught me when I was younger, and they're still walking with God. It's wonderful to see a 75, 80, even into their 90-year-olds still loving Jesus, still writing great works and reading and challenging me to stay strong. I love it when they call me "Sonny." Dr. Walvoord talked to me and says, "When I was your age..." I thought that was a great compliment, man. Now, I know that aging has its scary moments. I realize. Some are still driving in their 90s. We had one of our older faculty members driving up and bouncing off the curb not long ago, and the car just died. And the person that was riding with him jumped out of the door and held on to the top and went, "Whew!" It was great. I was so glad I had not been in that car. Some wag said, "Remember, older folks are worth a lot more. They have silver in their hair, gold in their teeth, stones in their kidneys, lead in their feet, and natural gas in their gut." Worth a lot, folks. Let me give you five tips on how to stay young, okay? I'm going to pass them along to you. They're original with me; nobody gave them to me. I've sort of learned them as life has unfolded for me. And you might want to write them down. I don't care what your age is—you'll be here someday. And when you are, you'll need to review these. If you want to stay young, remember these five things. Number one: your mind isn't old, so keep developing it. Your mind isn't old; keep developing it. Read more, watch less television. Spend time with people who talk about events and ideas rather than sitting around a shop talking about people and how sorry this young generation is. Nobody wants to be around a crotchety old person who sees only the clouds and the rain. Your mind is not old; keep developing it. Keep developing it. I read about one comedian who said his daddy is so ready to die he won't even buy green bananas. That's a crazy way to live. Dare the aging process. Buy a whole bunch of green bananas. Your mind isn't old. Number two: your humor isn't over, keep enjoying it. I love being around older people who still see the sunny side of life. They still see things funny happening. They still can tell a great story. They still enjoy a real belly laugh. You look fabulous when you laugh, and it takes years off of you. Helps clean out some of the lines on your faces. And some of you would do well to cultivate a better sense of humor. Did I say something wrong? Maybe so. Your humor isn't over; keep developing it. Keep enjoying it. Number three: your strength isn't gone, keep using it. Don't let yourself get crippled up, if you will. If affliction comes and you can't hold it back, that's obvious. And certainly we care about that and we want you to find assistance anyway you can. And we are increasingly more sensitive, I'm glad to say, of those who have disabilities. But most of us don't, thank the Lord. Quit addressing every ache and pain. Quit talking about how weak you're getting and how others will have to do this for you. You keep doing it. My physician friend for so many years made the mistake of telling an 84-year-old woman who had just ran five miles—he said to her at the next checkup, "You know, take it easy. You don't have to run five miles." A week and a half later, she died. And he said to me at the memorial service, "I'll never again tell a patient to take it easy." Step up. Step up. Take the stairway, don't always take the elevator. Walk out into life and travel and accept the challenges that life throws at you, which become increasingly more in demand. Your strength isn't gone; keep using it. Here's a fourth: your opportunities haven't vanished, so keep pursuing them. There are people all around you who could use an encouraging word, an affirming note, a phone call that says, "I love you and believe in you and I'm praying for you." So go there. Opportunities have not vanished. Don't allow yourself to get crowded in and closed in so that all the blinds stay pulled and all the doors stay locked, and you live in the terror of somebody taking advantage of you. What a dreadful way to live. Without removing any of the need for necessary safety, don't live your life facing and thinking only of the dangers. If you do, you'll never leave your neighborhood. Opportunities haven't vanished; keep pursuing them. Fifth is obvious: your God is not dead, keep serving and seeking Him. You'll find the living God is ageless. We always picture him as an old man with white hair blowing wind out of the north, but that's not God. The Lord Jesus is timeless. One of the things we'll be impressed with when we're with him is this incredible condition in which he is living his life. Take care of yourself. Keep up those good habits of health. Don't think it's not important. Job pulled through all of this and lived even another 140 years, and I read nothing of his being somehow set aside. Ten kids will do that to you if nothing else—that'll keep you hopping. I came across a piece: "Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from getting talkative and particularly from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion." "Release me from the craving to try and straighten out everybody's affairs. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details. Give me wings to get to the point. I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others' pains; help me endure them with patience." "But seal my lips on my own aches and pains. They are increasing, and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cock-sureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others." "Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet." Isn't that a great line? "I do not want to be a saint—some of them are so hard to live with—but a sour old woman or man is one of the crowning works of the devil. Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy." "With my vast store of wisdom, seems a pity not to use it. But thou knowest, Lord, I want a few friends at the end. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people. And give me, Lord, the grace to tell them so." I wish for all of you a full life that's marked not by living happily ever after—impossible—but satisfied, fulfilled, challenged, useful, godly, balanced, reasonably sweet. Reasonably sweet. I'm going to draw two more messages from Job. One will be what Job teaches us about ourselves. That's next time. And following that, what Job teaches us about our God. Then I promise we'll end the series. Bow with me, will you please? Could it be that the reason you are finding it elusive—this pursuit of a dream or remaining reasonably sweet—is that you simply don't have a Savior? Here you are at this age, lived all these years, however old you may be, and you've never come to the cross. My, what a gap. No wonder life's getting more tedious and you're becoming more negative. You're lost. You're lost. Spiritually unborn. But there's a remedy. There's a remedy. We sang about it in the hymns and the songs. He is our strength when we are weak. He is the treasure that we seek. He is our all in all. That's Christ. I invite you to him. Just turn it over to him. Bring all the stuff of your life and he has a wonderful way. Like restoring Job, he'll restore you, forgive you, give you a future. Come to him today, won't you? Thank you, Lord, for lessons learned within the lines and between the lines of your inspired word. Thank you for truth to live by, and to die by, and to age with, and to pass along. Thank you for our friend Job. It's like he's almost become a member of our family. Thank you for his model. Thank you for coming back to him with such words and deeds of assurance. Thank you for blessing him like no one else in his day. We find hope there, Lord, and reason to go on. We love you and we say again: you are our all in all. For when even our father and mother fail us, the Lord will take us up. And weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Those who sow in sorrow and tears will reap in joy. I pray for my friends today who hear these words who've never come to the Savior, or they've come and they've drifted. They've let the old nature take over. I pray that you'd cleanse them and free them and give them renewal and hope that they might become one of those treasured aging people we need more of in this old world that's lost its way. And now unto him who has guarded us from stumbling and who can present us faultless before the presence of his joy with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our dear Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. In Jesus' dear name we pray. And everyone said, amen.
Bill Meyer: What a gift to reach the end of Job's story and find not a fairy tale, but something far richer. Chuck Swindoll reminds us that on this earth no one lives happily ever after, yet there can be fulfillment, purpose, and blessing from the hand of God. You're listening to Insight for Living. It's possible you found yourself resonating with Job's plight today. Maybe you've been sitting in a cauldron of your own suffering and you're wondering when the suffering will end and if God even sees you. Well, Chuck wrote a helpful book that will answer those questions. It's called "Finding God When the World's on Fire." This book is for anyone whose faith is being tested by loss, by illness, by uncertainty, by a world that refuses to offer hope. We'd like to send you a copy when you make a gift to support the ministry of Insight for Living. Let me assure you your generosity truly makes a difference. Listen to this note we received from one of your fellow listeners who just turned 40. They said, "Dear Pastor Swindoll, though we've never met, I felt compelled to write to you. Your teaching and writing have been a steady and meaningful force in my walk with the Lord. God has used your reflections to bring clarity, conviction, and encouragement at just the right time. Not as a distant or abstract voice, but as one who seemed to understand both the weight and the wonder of walking faithfully with Him." Wow, that is so beautifully said. You know, when you give, you're coming alongside brothers and sisters in Christ, just like this woman, offering clarity, conviction, and encouragement. So let us thank you for your gift today by sending you Chuck's book, "Finding God When the World's on Fire." Call us at 800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/donate. Again our number: 800-772-8888. Or online, it's insight.org/donate. So what does the Book of Job actually teach us about ourselves? I'm Bill Meyer. Chuck Swindoll answers that question Tuesday on Insight for Living. The preceding message, "And Job Lived Happily Ever After . . . Or Did He?" was copyrighted in 2002, 2004, and 2025, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindoll, Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.