Come Forth as Gold

No matter where you are in your knowledge of the Bible, most people are familiar with the story of Job. Why is this? Because his is a story that provides hope for anyone who has ever walked through incredible hardship. While he experienced unimaginable and overwhelming loss, in the end, God gave him even more than he had in the beginning. When life hands us tragedy, Job’s is a story we cling to. I’ve referenced his story many times when talking with others about what our family has been through. “I just remember Job,” I’ve said. “I know that God will restore what has been lost.” And I still believe this, very much. But recently, as my husband and I have been digging excitedly and deeply into Job together, God has revealed a fresh and new understanding of the significance of his story for our lives. I feel Job’s story is too often summarized into a comparison of the beginning and end, and I’ve even been one to do it. It’s easy to quickly reference the beginning loss and end redemption. But what of the middle? What of the torment? The sleepless nights? What of the moments when Job didn’t know how the story would end? What can those moments teach us? When he was in the thick of the physical, emotional, and mental battle? The other night, my husband shared a verse that answered all of these questions for me. In the middle of it, when things looked most bleak, he said:
“But he knows the way that I take; for when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” ~Job 23:18
Thank you, Job. Thank you for speaking such beautiful words, in the midst of your suffering. To me, this is the making of a true hero. Not what they were able to overcome, but HOW they overcame it. What they said when standing in the valley, not on the mountain. Lord, let me be like Job. Continue to polish me. Make me shine. Help me, as only You can, come forth as gold.