We shouldn’t compare ourselves to other people, because God has a plan for us that’s unique and personal. His methods may sometimes seem strange and His training difficult, but His results are always worth waiting for. All He asks us to do is trust and obey – even when things seem to be tough – and He’ll accomplish His purpose in our lives. In the midst of unspeakable heartache and trouble, Job said ‘He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.’ This verse can be broken down into smaller parts: 1) ‘He knows the way that I take.’ The path we’re on today is the one God chose for us, and He never makes mistakes. And even when we don’t know where He is, God knows where we are because He never takes His eye off of us. 2) ‘When he has tested me.’ The word ‘when’ means God has established a set time for testing us, and a set time for bringing us out of the test. It shows that testing will happen, but also that it will end. How we view the test is our choice. We can see it as a tough experience, or a way of growing. We can pray for it to end, or we can pray that God would show us how He’s working through it. 3) ‘I will come forth as gold.’ When God finishes refining us and removing the impurities from our lives, we’ll shine like pure and precious gold. When the rubbish has been thrown out and the fear removed, we’ll be able to serve God so much better. We’ll be more Christlike, and our story can be a great encouragement to others.

What Now?

Write out Job 23:10, and read it every time you feel like you’re being tested.