Tested

When you are tested, like Job was, seek God and ask what He’s trying to teach you through your trials.

“Look, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him; […] But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”—Job 23:8, 10 NKJV

Job once had been successful and prosperous, yet for reasons he could not understand, he now was experiencing great loss and suffering. He once had been the envy of his neighbors, but now he had become a laughingstock. While he didn’t fully grasp what was happening in his life, he did come to recognize that he was being tested.

His friends, on the other hand, were quick to analyze and judge. They immediately blamed Job for his problems and didn’t stop to consider that the Lord might be trying to accomplish something in his life.

Job continued to focus on God. Though he was frustrated because he could not “perceive” or “see” God, he sought to understand what the Lord was trying to teach him.

As we journey through life, we too may go through times of testing. James encourages us to “consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2–3 NASB). The Bible tells us that God allows trials to refine us (Psalm 66:10).

When you go through trials and tests, remember to seek God. Ask for His insights on what He’s working to accomplish in your life. Call on Him for the problems you face. Have faith in Him, knowing that He wants to purify you, refine you, teach you, and bring you to a place of greater blessing.

Reflection Question: How do you react when God is testing you?