In recent weeks, I have had the privilege of leading two different spiritual retreats, in two different locations, for the leadership teams of two different churches – something that is always a delight.
During our times together, one of the exercises that I got both groups to do was to consider where, in their lives, they were currently experiencing tests, trials and temptations. It wasn’t to dwell on those things per se, but to enable us to explore how to navigate our way through them, firm in our faith in God.
Needless to say, it’s got me thinking since …
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The reality is that all of us will face tests, trials and temptations – if not now, then in the future. Sometimes, it’s sudden; an unexpected curveball. Other times, it’s suffering over the long-haul; an ordeal of endurance. Whatever form the testing takes, it can shake our faith.
But there is also a beautiful Bible verse that can help us make sense of why God allows it.
It’s in Job 23:10, where Job says of God, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
It’s a verse that I’ve been pondering, and I want to unpack it here, as my ‘thought for the month‘ for February*.
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1. “But he knows the way that I take”
Job was successful in every way. He had a loving family, a secure home, many possessions, a thriving agricultural business, and wealth in abundance. He was also in good health.
In God’s eyes, he was ‘blameless and upright’, a man of integrity. Yet God allowed Job’s faith to be tested – and it’s in this context that Job declares, “But he knows the way that I take”.
God knew everything about Job – and he also knows everything about us.
He knows who we are, how we are, and what we are doing. He knows the choices we are making, and the ways we are taking. He knows what tests we are facing, why we are facing them, and what the outcome of them will be.
He knows – because he loves us, understands us, accepts us, and cares about the details of our lives.
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2. “When he has tested me”
When Job was tested, God allowed Satan to take almost everything – his sons and daughters, his home and possessions, his business and workers, his wealth and health. Barely anything was off limits.
I find it amazing the way that Job accepts it.
Note how he doesn’t say, “If God tests me,” but rather, “When he has tested me”. In other words, he recognises God’s hand is in the testing.
But also note how he mistakes the testing as coming from God, rather than Satan, because he doesn’t recognise the spiritual warfare taking place behind the scenes. He lacks the discernment to distinguish between the two.
God wasn’t causing him to be tested; he was allowing it.
It’s the people around Job who struggle to see this, with his friends spuriously suggesting it’s his sin that has caused his suffering, and his wife telling him to give up on himself and God. But Job examines his heart, and he can’t identify any sin that needs to be confessed. He also knows God is sovereign, so he doesn’t walk away from his faith.
Job simply feels bereft and confused – and it’s in this context that he says of God, “When he has tested me.”
Sometimes God will allow us to be tested too – and we will also feel bereft and confused.
But God allows us to be tested – because he wants to see whether we will give up on ourselves and on him. He wants to see whether we are willing to examine our hearts, confess our sins, and come back into right relationship with him.
And he also allows us to be tested – because he wants us to choose to trust him, even when what is happening to us is incomprehensible. He wants us to choose to boldly hold onto our faith, even when its foundations feel like they are being shaken from all directions.
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3. “I will come forth as gold”
At the end of Job’s story, having stayed firm in his faith through all the testing, God restores to him more than he had before. For Job, his reward came in this life; for others, it comes with eternity.
But the process to get there is costly – which is why Job likens it to coming forth as gold.
Gold is refined when it is put into a crucible, placed in a furnace, heated at intense temperatures and melted. The extreme heat forces all the alloys and other impurities to separate and float to the surface, ready for removal. The result is pure, unadulterated gold.
In the same way, God sometimes refines us by allowing us to be placed in a furnace of affliction, heated through intense testing, and the dross in our lives to be removed. The process can transform our character, and make us more like Jesus.
So, when Job declares, “I will come forth as gold,” it’s because he knows that God is forging his faith in the fiery furnace. He knows that the testing is not intended to destroy him, but refine him. He knows that it’s revealing his resilience, and paving the way for favour to flow.
Can we say the same?
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To what extent are you able to join with Job, in declaring of God, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold”?
What tests, trials and temptations are you facing at the moment, maybe in your health, finances, a relationship, or some other area? To what extent do you believe that God sees your situation? What will it take for you to trust him in it?
Or perhaps you are struggling to see any gold coming forth from the testing you are experiencing. If this is you, why don’t you ask him to show you how he is refining your character and deepening your relationship with him?
As ever, constructive comments are welcome below.
(Please note: This is my ‘thought for the month’ reflection for February. You can find all my ‘thought for the month’ reflections here.)
Photo from Zlataky via Unsplash
