Monday, August 14, 2023
Trusting Through Testing
We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. (James 5:11 NLT)
Job’s very name is a point of reference for the worst suffering imaginable. Job was living a great life. He had a beautiful family and was very wealthy and successful. But one day, seemingly out of nowhere, a series of calamities befell this man.
We know from reading the Old Testament book of Job that a conversation took place in Heaven between God and the angels. Satan, who is a fallen angel, also was there. God had been bragging on Job saying, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil” (Job 1:8 NLT).
Satan essentially said, “Give me a break! Just let me have a little time with Job. Then we’ll see what he’s really made of.”
So, God allowed the devil to bring a series of difficulties into Job’s life. And on that tragic day when he lost all his children and possessions, here’s what Job said: “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” (verse 21 NLT).
The Bible goes on to say that “Job did not sin by blaming God” (verse 22 NLT). That is real faith.
It has been said that character is not made in crisis; it is only revealed. Some people give up on God when hardship, even tragedy, comes into their lives. When something bad happens, they say, “I lost my faith.”
However, a faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. Don’t put your faith in a person. Don’t put your faith in a church. Put your faith in Jesus Christ. He is the One who will sustain you through times of difficulty.
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