But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold

As far as I know, every biblical hero had to go through a period of intense suffering. I’m thinking of Joseph, Jeremiah, David etc., etc. And whether, as in this quote from Job 23:10 God gets the blame or not, what God always seems to be doing through suffering, is character polishing, facilitating His heroes to “come forth as gold.” In fact the supreme good that God promises to work in the lives of those who love Him, is that He is makes us more like Jesus both in character, and in fruitfulness (Romans 8:28, 29).

Job’s so-called “comforters” were not really comforters at all! They insisted that he deserved everything that had happened to him. Their warped theology maintained that suffering is always a sign of sin, and that it is God’s punishment on that sin (Job 2:7). But Job is blameless (Job 1:1), and in the end God vindicates him telling him that his three “friends” had not “spoken of Me what is right” (Job 42:7). In the end, what God thinks about us is far more important than what anyone else thinks about us. But being misunderstood, falsely accused, marginalized and dismissed in the midst of our trials, does nothing but add to our suffering! You might have a very good idea what I’m talking about!

Job’s suffering had another advantage, it moved him from knowing about God to knowing Him personally. He had “heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5). Jesus tells us, that the very essence of eternal life is “that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). When we truly know Him, and we know that we belong to Him, then we know who we are, and by his grace we are able to stand, and having done all to stand (Ephesians 6:13).

Father, it is so easy to loose perspective in the midst of our trials and temptations. And when we do, the solution is always to renew our perspective. Many times like Job, we need You to intervene to bring us back into that there. So as we go into this new year Father, give us eyes to see, and ears to hear what You are doing in this time, and to keep our eyes upon You, as Your eyes are upon us. And we give You praise and glory in Jesus Name Amen