Tested and Tried

Tested and Tried

8 “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; 9 on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. 11 My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside. 12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food. 13 But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. 14 For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind. 15 Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread of him. 16 God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; 17 yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face.

Job 23:8-17 (ESV)

                I don’t often ask for prayer for myself or my family but this week really has been a time of trial and testing. I won’t get into the details but please lift my family up. I realized many times we do not ask for prayer because we are proud and afraid of what others might think. When we fail to share our burdens the load is often too heavy for us to bare and we give in to the temptation to quit because we see others not serving God and they seem to be getting along great. In the book of Job that is what we really see and learn about service to God. Job was often surrounded by others who thought they had the answers to why he was enduring the trials he was in. The problem was they did not really know him or his relationship to God. They accused him of committing every sin under the sun trying to explain why he was being persecuted we often do that with fellow believers and that is one of the main reasons we don’t share our trials when someone asks for prayer we look at them and say, “well if you would stop…” That is not what you were asked to do you were asked to pray. I think most of us have felt like Job no matter where you looked you just did not see God in what was going on in your life. Those are the times when we must continue on in faith. It’s not easy but God knows exactly where you are and He has not left you. In that fact Job was terrified, it is hard to accept the fact that sometimes God allows trials to come but they only come to strengthen who you are in God. We have a choice to make when trials arise on our way do we continue to trust Him; who is the author and finisher of our faith or do we turn and walk away from Him. I ask you to take it to heart that through the sacrifice of Jesus God showed His love for each of us those who believe and also those who do not. He loves each of us the same they choice is yours will you trust in Him or not. I pray you are able and willing to trust him wherever His will leads. Have a blessed day!