Your Daily Devotional for July 8, 2007

 

July 8,  2007

 

 

Job's Heart Revealed

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

 

Job 23:10-12

 

 

 

Alfred Edershein, a converted Jew and theologian, once said, "We cannot understand the meaning of many trials; God does not explain them. To explain a trial would be to destroy its object, which is that of calling forth simple faith and implicit obedience. If we knew why the Lord sent a trial, it would cease to be a trial of faith."

 

As we saw yesterday, the book of Job is the record of Job's faithfulness to God through many different trials. Through all that God allowed in his life, Job kept a tender heart and remained faithful to God. As we see in our verses today, Job revealed his heart during this time.

 

Job revealed that he still trusted God. In Job 23:10, Job says, "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job realized that God meant to grow him during these trials. While he didn't understand all that God was doing, he had faith that God was in control.

 

Sometimes we may focus so much on the immediate that we fail to see the future. God desires to use us to accomplish His will, but many times, that requires a molding and shaping of our lives. These are never easy times, but we must trust that the Lord is in control. If we do not accept the trials as God's molding, we will not become the Christians God desires us to be. We must trust God during these times.

 

Also, Job revealed that he desired God's strength. Job 23:6 says, "Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me." Job desired that God would strengthen him and would sustain him during this time. Job realized that he could never make it through his trial in his own power, but with God's help, he could remain faithful.

 

Many times we neglect to look to God for strength during a trial. Our human nature wants to find our own solution and make it through alone. But God is the only source of strength during these difficult times. We cannot make it through without Him! We must come to Him and seek His help during these times. He is willing to help us, but we must first come to Him.

 

Our hearts will often be revealed during difficult times. We see that Job trusted God and desired His help and strength during his trials. If your heart were to be revealed today, what would others see? Do you trust God during difficulties and do you seek Him for help and guidance? Seek God right now and trust Him to take care of you. Let Him strengthen you and guide you as you live for Him today.

 

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

Job 36-37 • Acts 15:22-41

 

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