Loading... Job 23:10 - AS GOLD
Friday, February 26th, 2010
Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Gold in its natural state is not nearly as valuable as gold once it has been refined. One of the earliest methods of refining gold was by fire. Until the gold was refined by fire, it often would contain many impurities. The more impurities contained by the gold, the less valuable the gold would be to its owner. However, gold was often put through the fire multiple times. Each time it was put in the fire, more of its impurities would be removed. To the owner of the gold, it made sense to keep putting the gold through the fire because it made the gold more valuable.
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin in our life is like impurities in a piece of gold. We are the creation of God and as such, HE desires us to pursue HIS perfect will for our life. In the same way that the owner of gold will put it through the refining fire to make it more valuable, so also, God will allow us to go through certain trials to remove some of the impurities from our lives and make us more valuable to HIM.
Why was it that God allowed it not to rain in the land of Israel for over three years during the life of Ahab? Ahab had led the nation of Israel in the worship of Baal. Israel was God’s chosen nation and they chose to follow the gods of Baal rather than the one true God. The nation of Israel needed to go through a trial in order to turn their focus back to God once again. The nation of Israel needed to remove from their lives the impurities of worshiping Baal so that they could be true to the one true God.
God does not put us through trials just because we have sinned. Even when we are living a life that is pleasing to the Lord, HE will put us through difficult situations for HIS glory. Paul was a faithful servant of God. One night he found himself in prison for preaching the name of Jesus. During the night, God made a way for Paul to escape. However, Paul did not run from his trial and as a result, he was able to lead the prison guard to the Lord. Paul was facing a trial that was planned by God so that God would receive the glory.
We do not always understand what God is trying to do in our lives. We are so short sighted that when things are not going exactly as we desire, we start praying to God to change our circumstances. We think we know what is best for our life but the truth is, we rarely do know what is God’s perfect will.
We forget that God works everything for good for those who love HIM and are called according to HIS purposes. When we are facing difficult situations in our life, this is the time to ask God to reveal HIMSELF to you in a new way. When things are not going exactly as you planned it, this is when you should patiently pray that God gives you the grace to endure your trial so that HE can be glorified through you.
The difference between great Christians who do great things for God and those who live a mediocre existence is that the great Christians trust God throughout their trials. The Great Christians will patiently wait for God to teach them what they need to know about HIS perfect will in the trial that they are enduring.
The next time you are facing a difficult trial, thank the Lord. The next time you are facing a difficult trial, ask HIM to reveal to you HIS hidden purpose. The next time you are facing a difficult trial, allow HIM to have HIS way in your life.