But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.  Job 23:10

Not all flowers thrive in what we would call the optimal conditions.  There are beautiful flowers that grow amidst the crags and rocks of the cold air in the mountains.  Others thrive in the scorching heat of the desert. These flowers thrive in extreme conditions.

None of us ask to be put in extreme or difficult situations that test our strength to its limits or to be put in a place where we have to deal with difficult people, but at times we find ourselves there.

No one knew this better than Job. Even though in the culture of his time it was thought that if you had bad things happen in your life, you had committed some sin, Job trusted and knew that God would somehow make things right, even though he was never given a reason for the disasters that happened to his family.  God never told Job what Satan had requested and His response.  He just knew bad things were happening and he would not blame God for it.  In the end, Job was doubly blessed by God for standing firm in his faith.

God either allows or causes all of the situations in our lives, for different reasons.  Our job is to be faithful in those situations so that the beauty of His life in us shines through.  God tests us so that we can see His strength in us, and grow our faith.  As in Job’s case, sometimes He allows the enemy to attack us because He knows our faith is strong enough.  We just don’t know it.

I saw it written this way: “He tested me because He trusted me”.  Even though we don’t want bad things to happen, they do.  But we can be sure that if God is the one testing us for whatever reason, it is because He trusts us.  What a beautiful thought – that the Creator of everything could trust a measly human such as me.  And if I am strong in my faith, I too will come forth as gold.

From ministry friend Pam Rehbein.