Job 19:25-27 – For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

THEME OF THE DAY: THE TESTING OF OUR FAITH. In order to grasp the significance of Job’s words in today’s scripture, one needs to read the twenty-four verses before. In them, Job is in extreme pain; emotionally, physically, and spiritually. His friends have turned to be his accusers and the charge is hypocrisy. They are merciless with words that pierce him like sword thrusts. He also has a wife that joined the crowd. She earlier said to her husband, “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). Imagine the home life they endured; a godly man living with a nagging and godless woman. And remember Job is suffering physically and not with a little itch. Extensive boils and sores which would have made sleeping nearly impossible. But that is not all . . . the most cherished thing in Job’s life, his relationship with God, as seen through his eyes is in trouble, severely tested. He sees but more importantly feels, God is tormenting him, coming to him as an angry enemy, an adversary hurting and attacking him without mercy (Job 19:2, 10-11).

What Job perceived from his “friends” and wife was true. They were cruel, unloving, acting like arrogant religious zealots, and well, simply doing what sinners do; displaying self-righteous attitudes and offering spiritual advice lacking any credibility, discernment and value. Yes, Job’s perceptions of his closest human relationships were right on. His perception of his God’s actions and attitudes toward him was way wrong. God had not abandoned him, stopped loving Him and become His enemy. In fact, Job was experiencing one of the highest expressions of God’s love to Him; a testing of his faith which would be a deepening of his faith. Job is experiencing what the Apostle Peter says will be true of all believers – “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). In today’s scripture, Job reveals two goals in God testing His children’s faith.

The first goal in the testing of our faith is to build conviction that God is who He said He is, will do what He said He will do and that despite what we feel, sense, or see. Job proclaims the highest expression of faith with words of unwavering conviction – “I know my redeemer lives.” Friends, those deep and dark trials God brings your way are to build conviction apart from your feelings. Cling to truth, not experiences, when God is testing your faith.

Another goal from the Lord in testing our faith is to get us to live in the realm of what faith points to – the face-to-face meeting of God. During great pain, Job says “And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eye shall behold, and not another.” What is faith? The writer of Hebrews tells us “Faith is the substance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1). That points to the future; to seeing Christ and giving away faith for sight. Two things will be absent in heaven; sin and faith. To pass any test in this life, we must live focused on the next life. Faith is not primarily in trusting God to get us through this life but to bring to reality the certainty of the next life.

Job passed the testing of his faith, not because of his own strength, but through the strength given by the One who sent the test; his God. And our God will do the same for us. As we go through the testing of our faith, the God who sent the test will empower us to pass the test for His glory and the strengthening of our faith.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to see that tough times in my life are times of affirming my faith in You.”

QUOTE: “An untested faith is not to be a trusted faith for it is not a true faith.”