August 16

I Have Seen You

"I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." Job 42:5

Job went through some really severe trials. He lost everything: he lost all his worldly possessions, he lost his health, he lost his servants, he even lost all his children. His wife was totally non-supportive. She wanted him to curse God and die and be done with it. His friends were not much better, once they opened their mouths. They knew Job must have sinned to bring upon himself such calamity. Depression came upon Job, as it might any of us if even a portion of these things had taken place in our lives. Satan had set out to bring Job down. He figured Job was so devoted to God because of his possessions. There was one thing that Satan could not take from Job, and that was his faith. Job was righteous. The Scriptures tell us that he offered sacrifices each day for his children, in case they sinned against God in the night. He was devoted to the God he served. There was one thing that Job did not have at the beginning of the book that he possessed at the end. Through the trials, through the pain, through the depression, through the waiting, he learned that He could trust God. He developed a special bond with God. He had heard of God, he knew who God was, and he chose to serve him before, but through the trial he saw God. He saw God working in his life. He saw him bring beauty from the ashes. He felt God's healing touch in his life. He saw the miracles of how God works in each of our lives with his own two eyes. He no longer knew about God, he now knew God. The end of the story is a wonderful one. We find Job praying for his friends, the ones who had hurt him so badly. That resulted in his fortune being restored. In fact, it was doubled! God blessed Job even more in the second half of his life than he had in the first. His flocks were multiplied and he was given 10 more children. Job lived to see four generations of his children and grandchildren and he died an old man who had lived a long and good life. Remember the story of Job the next time trials find their way into your life. This is an opportunity to see God with your own eyes. Don't miss out on it! Look for him, he is there. Learn from him, and what once seemed unbearable will become a blessing.

Father, help us to see you in our lives. Help us to see you especially when we are going through the fiery trials. We know intellectually that you love us and care for us, but help us to see it. Help us to look beyond the pain of the experience to what you are trying to teach us, and, like in the life of Job, let us see you bringing beauty from the ashes. May we be able to say with Job, "I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." May praise be yours forever and ever! Amen.