But [God] knows the way that I take (the way with me); when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 23:10

I thought of this verse before going to bed last night, and I looked it up. Then I was prompted to look at the context of the verse. I’m glad that I did!

At the end of Job Chapter 22 Job’s friend Eliphaz exhorts Job to delight in God as his gold and precious silver. The allusion to these precious metals sets the stage for Job 23:10, where Job states that he will “come forth as gold” after being tried by God.

Eliphaz (in Job 22:24-26) exhorts Job to “place your gold in the dust” – to find his fulfillment in God alone, above precious gold and silver! The neat thing is that the Hebrew for “the Almighty” in Job 22:25-26 means “Shaddai”; Job was exhorted to find his everything in God, to rely on God to be his portion, far above gold and silver.

I recently studied about the Hebrew meaning of “El Shaddai”, a name of God found in Scripture. In this passage of Job the author brings together El Shaddai (our Almighty Provider and Sustainer) with our need as Christians to rely on Him completely as He uses trials in our lives to refine us. We need God in EVERY situation!

At this realization I knew that God saw me in that moment, right where I was, amidst my struggle to keep Him as my everthing.

He is so good!

Father,

Be my portion, my all in all. Help me to lay aside all treasures from this world and to make You my gold and silver. Also, use the trials in my life to refine me and to present me as pure gold – precious in Your sight.

I love You, Abba!

Crystal (from a journal entry on 3/10/22)