Refining Faith

Job 1

The recognition: Have you noticed my servant Job?
The taunt and the challenge: Job has good reason to fear God...take away everything...he will surely curse you to your face
The permission: All right, you may test him.
The disasters: All his livestock (wealth) and his children were killed.
The grief: Job stood up and tore his robe in grief - he expressed his grief.
The worship: Job's response to grief was worship.

"I came naked from my mother's womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had, and the
Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord."

"In all of this Job did not sin by blaming God." Job 1:22

Job's loss was monumental. His life would never be the same. His love for his children and concern of their spiritual welfare was a 'regular practice.' Something that is a regular practice defines our lives. It shows what is most important to us. Job was hit - targeted by Satan in an area that was most precious to him - the lives of and his relationship with his children.

It seems as though his 'testing' was uniquely crafted to try to hurt his faith the most. Job's relationship with his children was intricately woven into his faith fabric. It was his regular practice to interceed for them. He knew their frailty - where they could fall spiritually. That kind of knowledge comes from familiarity. He was their father and understood his children's weaknesses. They were on Job's heart continually.

Because Job was truly a blameless man with complete integrity - as God knew he was - Job's response to tragedy was an expression of worship and trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God. He offered praise at the worst time in his life.

What can we learn? Our testing may well be uniquely crafted to try to hurt our faith the most. God in His goodness would not allow this testing if He did not consider our character of such a nature that it could be refined through the process. One doesn't put junk metal through the refining process for silver or gold. It would have no value in the end.

The most God-honoring and healthy response for us to the personal tragedies in our lives is that of worship. To give God praise in the worst times of our lives lifts us beyond our circumstances.

Lord, thank you for considering our character and faith of such quality that they could be refined. Thank you that our faith is that precious to you. Blessed be the name of the Lord.