“But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.”
- Job 23:8-10 -

10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."

There is the phrase from old westerns, ‘There’s gold in them thar hills.' It goes well with this chapter. Your faith needs to be refined by fire, just like gold, and the end product will reflect the refiner’s face as he gazes upon it. God knows the way we are taking, even when we do not.

God was testing Job: he may be testing you. You do not get a testimony without having a test. When Jesus was tested in the desert, by hunger, thirst, and raging temptations, he repeated the ancient maxim that man does not live by bread alone, but by God’s word. Job is an example of this great truth. God’s words can feed us spiritually in ways that cannot be gained by physical food. We need that sustenance today. Our souls are hungry. There certainly is gold in them thar hills!

Prayer: All-powerful God, your ways are right, but they may not always be pleasant. I need your special grace to see them through.