Both sorrow and happiness are man’s daily companions. They are like waves, hills and valleys, storms, or a gentle and comforting wind. They come and go. Sometimes these appear in abundance, but they are always present in the life of man.
Everyone longs for fulfillment and satisfaction in life. Many believe that riches bring happiness and poverty brings sorrow. Therefore, they strive with all their strength to become self-sufficient in order to avoid suffering. Some people think, poverty is the result of a man’s sin, while riches come as a reward for doing good. Others blame people around them for their struggles. Some even resort to unlawful means in their pursuit of wealth and happiness. Such thinking reflects the natural mind of man, and the majority of people view life in this way.
But as Christians, how should we think about these matters? If you are rich, do you conclude that it is because you have done good things and God has rewarded you for them? And if you are poor and suffer, do you assume that God does not care about your suffering?
It is natural for us to ask questions when we face trials. A person may say, “I am a good man. I do good things. I am doing everything humanly possible to please God. Then why am I going through such difficulties in life? Why is our life on earth not free from troubles?”
Dearly beloved, we must remember that the trials in a believer’s life are not the result of what he does or does not do. All sufferings occur in a believer’s life are within the knowledge of God, and they serve God’s ordained purposes. This truth must be firmly rooted in the heart of a believer so that he will remain unshaken by the winds and storms of life. As we grow in the knowledge of God, we begin to understand that trials are not accidental; they are essential in the life of faith. We must know God who He truly is—the One who has absolute sovereignty and authority over all things.
In our human understanding we may categorize the events around us as good or evil, yet God uses both for the good of His people. For this reason, believers are called to rejoice even in their trials. The faith, the perfect gift of God is refined and be strengthened in us through the knowledge of God. Thus, we will reach to the understanding that God has already determined everything, and we are just the vessels on earth for His glory.
To prove God’s purposes for His children, let us examine the life of one of the Old Testament saints and see how God worked in and through his life. His name is Job. If God chose to record the life of this man as the first ever written revelations, then it is important for us to understand why He chose to do so. There is monumental significance in it. Moreover, we should seek to understand why God allowed Job to suffer so greatly. Job was a righteous man, as confirmed by God Himself. What was the purpose of such a trial? We sometimes refer to this book simply as one that illustrates the suffering of believers, but that is not the complete picture. We must understand this book more fully. God is communicating a profound message through the life of this man. Since God ordained that this account be recorded, there is surely a message He intends to convey to every child of God.
Job’s trials were a shadow of the one who was to come to suffer for the sin of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, the trials that every New Testament believer endures lead him to the unwavering hope of the Lord’s future appearance as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Job was one man among millions. Yet God Himself testified, “There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8). He owned great wealth, livestock, servants, and was blessed with ten children. He was indeed the greatest man in the East—a man greatly blessed by God. Yet imagine—such a righteous man was subjected to intense trials, marked by unimaginable and painful events.
The sequence of events in the book is recorded in a clear progression. When we examine the account carefully, we see that everything that happened in Job’s life occurred under the sovereign decree of God. Satan’s actions, Job’s sufferings, the words of his three friends, the speech of the young man, God’s appearance, and Job’s restoration—all were part of God’s plan.
The central conviction of the book of Job is the sovereignty of God, and God is bringing His servant Job to understand this truth more deeply. The book is not merely a debate about whether God is sovereign; rather, it reveals how human beings respond when His sovereignty is hidden behind the experiences of life, including suffering.
The will of God is the highest standard of righteousness. God is immutable— “I AM WHO I AM.” He does not change His plans based on the actions of His creatures. Job’s life unfolded within this unchanging truth.
One of the strongest emphases in the book of Job is God’s absolute authority over Satan.
From Job 1 & 2, we observe satan is challenging God, claiming that Job was righteous only because God protected and prospered him. Satan could not touch Job without God’s permission—God allowed the hedge of protection to be removed. God set clear boundaries:
o “Behold, all that he has is in your hand” (Job 1:12)
o “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life” (Job 2:6)
Satan is not an independent rival, but an instrument under the full authority of God. He cannot act apart from God’s ordination.
· God is not the author of evil
· Yet evil cannot operate outside His sovereign will
The account begins with a scene in heaven, where Satan presents a case against Job. He argues that Job fears God only because of the protection and prosperity God has given him. Satan claims that if God were to take these away, Job would curse Him. God allows Satan to remove Job’s possessions, saying, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person” (Job 1:12). Satan then departs and attacks Job. He uses wicked men to steal Job’s oxen, donkeys, and camels, and to kill his servants. Fire falls from heaven and consumes his sheep. A great wind strikes the house where Job’s children were gathered, killing all of them.
Upon hearing of these disasters, this man of God tears his robe, shaves his head, falls to the ground, and worships. He acknowledges his nothingness and confesses that God has the right to do as He pleases. He blesses the name of the Lord. Such a response is not natural to man. For someone to respond in this way, he must be different from the world. Job held fast to his integrity.
Then Satan again presents himself before God. God once again affirms Job’s integrity. Satan argues that if he were allowed to afflict Job’s body, Job would turn against God. This time, God permits Satan to strike Job’s body but commands him to spare his life. Satan afflicts Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job sits among the ashes scraping himself with a piece of broken pottery. His body is covered with sores, oozing and foul. Even his wife already grieving the loss of their children and overwhelmed by his suffering, urges him to curse God and die rather than continue in his integrity.
But Job responds, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:10). It is noteworthy that Scripture specifically says, “Job did not sin with his lips.”
At this point, Job enters the next stage of his trial—the counsel of his three friends. They come to him and sit in silence for seven days, for they see that his grief is very great. Job opens his mouth and curses the day of his birth and laments that despite the light of the knowledge of God he once had, misery now surrounds him and his way seems hidden. He also says, “For the thing I feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25). We see here that Job truly knew God—he feared God and shunned evil throughout his life. He recognized that his life had once been guided by the light of God. Yet now, he finds himself in darkness, unable to understand his circumstances or find a way forward.
The friends broke their silence and began speaking with their presumption that Job is guilty and thus God judged him. Job responds by arguing with them, seeking to defend his integrity and prove his innocence. Their back-and-forth dialogue continued until a fourth man appears—who was much younger than all of them—who speaks against both Job and the conclusions of the three friends regarding Job’s suffering.
Finally, God Himself appears to Job, shattering his understanding and humbling him deeply. God makes it clear that Job’s trials were not accidental; they were divinely ordained to bring Job into a greater understanding of God and His purposes. In response, Job offers a direct confession to God, acknowledging his limitations and unworthiness before the sovereign Lord. After this, there is reconciliation, sacrifice, forgiveness, prayer, and restoration. Job is blessed, and his family and friends gather around him once again.
All of this serves one purpose: to bring Job into a fuller understanding of God. Some say that these events occurred merely to prove Job’s righteousness because satan challenged God. However, a careful reading of the book shows that Satan was simply an instrument in God’s hand—used to begin the instruction and refinement of Job, who was already declared the most righteous man on earth.
The true nature of Job’s suffering was neither punishment nor accidental
- Job was already declared righteous: “A blameless and upright man” (Job 1:1)
- This was God’s verdict, not man’s.
Why then did God allow Satan to afflict Job? – Job’s suffering was not retribution. It was not for moral correction. What happened in Job’s life was not a punishment for hidden sin. It was not random chaos, nor merely a lesson in morality. Rather, Job’s suffering was the refining of a servant’s faith. God sovereignly appointed these trials for the manifestation of the glory of God.
- It was the testing of faith, the silencing of Satan, and the revelation of the Father to His child.
- It revealed that man’s own righteousness is insufficient to truly know God. True understanding begins with the righteousness that God provides.
The Failure of Job’s Friends
Job’s three friends initially sit with him in silence for seven days. But after this, they begin to speak. Their theology is based on the principle of retribution: good things happen to good people, and suffering comes upon the wicked. The first friend argues that Job must have sinned and urges him to confess: “You have sinned; therefore, you suffer.” Job responds, “Show me my sin—I have not done what you accuse me of.”
The second friend appeals to traditional wisdom. He suggests that Job’s children died because of their sins—that they received what they deserved. Job responds by expressing his inability to contend with God, acknowledging that God is too great for him to present his case and prove his innocence.
The third friend, the youngest among them, speaks harshly and arrogantly. He claims that Job has received less punishment than he deserves and urges him to repent so that God might restore him. These conversations only increase Job’s anguish and bring him to the point where he longs to see God, to speak with Him directly, and to present his case.
Job’s friends held a view no different from that of the natural man:
- God blesses the righteous
- God punishes the wicked
- Therefore, suffering must be the result of guilt
This is a mechanical and incomplete view of God’s providence. Though they spoke about God, their words were shaped by human reasoning and experience. They did not truly know God as He is.
In Job 42:7 we see: “The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends; for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.’” When a man speaks about God, he must do so with great care and certainty, knowing that he must speaks the truth.
Apostle James warns us: “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:1–2).
The Mounting Pressure: God Pressing Job “Inside Out”
Suffering alone did not fully expose Job.
- The continuous dialogue with his friends brought Job to a point where his self-righteousness began to surface.
- Job was compelled to defend himself.
- In defending his integrity, something subtle emerged—his self-righteousness.
All men, including the children of God, carry some degree of self-righteousness within them. Knowingly or unknowingly, there is often a hidden confidence in our own righteousness. This is not a gross sin, nor outright hypocrisy. It is present in every man. No one can completely eradicate it by his own effort. However, as the light of the Word of God and the knowledge of God increase in us, our self-centeredness begins to diminish, and we learn to humble ourselves. Even the remaining traces of self-righteousness must be exposed. This does not happen through dreams or sudden revelations. Rather, it comes through the continual meditation on the Word of God and through honest dialogue with fellow believers. Believers must be willing to speak with one another, allowing “iron to sharpen iron,” in humility and love.
God was not exposing a condemning sin in Job; He was exposing the self-righteousness that needed to be brought to light.
All these issues have been addressed at the cross. “No flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:29–31).
The 4th person -Elihu: The Transitional Voice
Elihu does not contradict God. Instead, he prepares the way for God’s appearance. He emphasizes the instructive nature of Job’s suffering. He rebukes the three older men for their flawed understanding, particularly their rigid view of retribution. He also rebukes Job, but without condemning him.
Elihu serves as a transitional voice—almost prophetic in tone—clearing the way before God Himself speaks. The counsel of Job’s friends lacked a true understanding of who God is. They portrayed God as One who merely reacts to human actions. While they spoke certain truths about God, their understanding was incomplete and inadequate to address Job’s situation. In effect, they misrepresented God. Job on the other hand, knew God personally—but still imperfectly. This highlights the difference between notional knowledge and a deeper and experiential knowledge of God.
It was five human beings attempting to resolve a profound metaphysical mystery. Yet this entire dialogue was necessary within the sovereign plan of God. As the tension reaches its peak, Job rises himself to the height of his self-defense, while the three friends exhaust their arguments. At this moment, Elihu—despite his youth and the cultural expectation to remain silent in the presence of elders—speaks with intensity against both Job and his friends.
God Speaks: The End of All Debate
Suddenly, a powerful whirlwind appears—marked by overwhelming force and unpredictability. From it comes the voice of the Almighty God and these 5 men’s speech comes to a halt.
In Job 38:2–3, God says: “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.”
Now the creatures are standing in the presence of the Sovereign God. God calls Job to prepare himself like a man. As a created being whose beginning and end is in the creator’s hands, a man must prepare himself as “like a man” to listen to God’s voice.
Here God does not invite debate; He establishes the infinite distance between Creator and creature. This is a revelation of divine order:
- God is God the creator of all
- Man is man and just a creature of God.
- Even the most righteous man must be silenced before Him
A man cannot truly know God unless God reveals Himself. In Job 42:5–6, Job says: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” This is often misunderstood by people. Job is not repenting of hidden wickedness; rather, he is repenting for speaking beyond the limits of a creature before the Creator. God moves Job from a theological understanding to humble submission before His majesty.
- Suffering refined Job
- Debate exposed Job
- Revelation shattered Job
This is not destruction leading to despair—it is a holy undoing.
We see this same pattern in many places in the Scripture.
In Isaiah 6, when the prophet Isaiah sees the Lord seated on a high and lifted throne, and hears the seraphim cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory,” the very foundations shake and the house is filled with smoke. Isaiah responds: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
Similarly, the people of Israel tremble at Mount Sinai. Surrounded by fire, thunder, and smoke, they plead with Moses to speak to them instead of God (Exodus 20). They were even afraid to come near Moses, because his face shines with the reflected glory of God. Moses must veil his face (Exodus 33–34).
This is the pattern of true revelation of God
God is speaking to Job (Job 38–41): sovereignty unveiled
This is the theological climax. God does not explain Job’s suffering; God did not justify His actions and did not answer Job’s questions of ‘why”. Instead, God reveals His creative authority, His governance of chaos and His rule over Behemoth and Leviathan (symbols of power). All are created by God -For His own purposes and for His own glory. The message here is not why Job suffered, it is I am God and you are a man and you are my creature. God asserts his absolute sovereignty in everything without apology.
Job’s words, as faith struggling under sovereignty
Even though God did accept what Job was saying, Job’s responses were not the right response. God brought job to the lowest point. God let satan take away everything he owned, satan took his children, God let satan to hurt him with sickness, His wife rejected him, his family rejected him. His friends accuse him of wrongdoing. He lost everything on earth. What a miserable condition. Here Job, Laments, Questions, Cries out, Even challenges God
God would not let such a man to speak. God brought this man down to the lowest grounds and showed him a glimpse of His might. God asked him more than thirty-six questions. Starting with creation in the first round and then the second round, Gods talked about creatures He made. Earlier Job argued with God, not against God. He never curses God; he never abandons God. He showed the language of faith under affliction, not rebellion. The first round of exposition ended with this question from God: “Shall the one who content with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God let him answer it.” Job 40:1. When Job heard this, he answered and said “Behold I am vile What shall I answer you, I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken but I will not answer. Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” (Job 40:4-5)
God spared a whole chapter (chapter 41) for discussing about Leviathan. And in the end, God said “on the earth there is nothing like him, which is made without fear, He beholds every high thing: he is king over all the children of pride” (Job 41:33-34). This is indeed satan the enemy
And after the second round of exposition, Job did not say, “I understand now”, “I am satisfied now”, “I am vindicated now”. But he said, “I know that you can do everything and no purpose of yourself can be withheld from you, you asked who is this who hides counsel without knowledge, therefore I have uttered what I did not understand. Things too wonderful for me which I did not know, listen please, let me speak. You said I will question and you shall answer me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. “Therefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:1-6
See, he says: “I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes” A man will lower himself when he gets closer to God. This is godly repentance leading to salvation. Self abhorrence is not self-hatred. It is the death of self confidence before the divine majesty. God will bring this revelation to His children. This is not to destroy, but to give freedom. Job did not need answers. He needed God. And when God came, he was undone but accepted. This is pure Grace. Job has been silenced, “and brought to dust and ashes
Restoration is grace, not wages
And at that point the grace of God flowed like a river. Job was not “rewarded for endurance.” Instead, God gave him reward purely by free grace, Job has not earned it, God did not owe it to him. rather. Job receives doubles of everything he lost. He received grace not because of anything he did. But because God is gracious.
This mirrors Romans 9:14-16 “What shall we say then, “so then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who showing mercy”. Our sovereign God has no obligation with anyone. Yet He gives everything through His abounding grace and mercy. God stays free both to wound and to heal.
Job, the shadow of Jesus Christ, the true and righteous sufferer
Job was a true reflection of Christ. Job was a child of God not because of his righteous life, not because of his own righteousness but by the perfect righteousness imputed to him through Jesus Christ who was indeed the righteous sufferer, rejected without cause, vindicated by God.
Job makes this statement in Job 19:25: I know that my redeemer lives. it was a shadow pointing to christ, the true and innocent sufferer, the only one who suffered without sin entirely, that too not for his own sake, but for the remnant’s sake.
We see in Hebrews 2:10 “For it was fitting for Him, for whom all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Our Lord’s perfect obedience and commitment to the fathers will was shown during his trial and crucifixion. We see this it in several scripture portions
Isiah 53:7 we see “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not His mouth. He was led as a lamb to slaughter. And as a sheep before it is shearers is silent. So, he opened not His mouth. In John 1:35-36 we see, “Again the next day John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said “Behold the Lamb of God.”
Our Lord never made a complaint, his voice did not hear in the open. In 1st Peter 2:22-24 Apostle Peter writes, “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth, who when He was reviled, did not revile in return: when he suffered. He did not threaten but committed himself to Him who judges righteously: who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we having died to sins, might live for righteousness. -by whose stripes we are healed.”
1 Timothy 6:12-14 we see Paul exhorting Timothy: “and have confess the good confession in the presence of many witnesses “I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing “
Job as Priest. A Clear Shadow of Jesus Christ
In Job 42:7–8 we see: “And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.’” The three friends of Job were declared guilty by God. Their failure was not merely that they could not resolve Job’s suffering, but that they had not spoken rightly about God. This is a serious offense. In this sense, all men stand guilty.
Romans 1:18: says, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” We also see in Romans 1:21, “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
God’s wrath was kindled against Job’s friends because they misrepresented God. Yet, remarkably, we also see the abundance of God’s grace toward them. God’s justice requires substitution. A sacrifice was necessary. This is where God’s justice and grace meet.
Job was brought to the lowest point of his self and the highest point in his understanding of God. As he stood silent in awe and wonder, the three friends approached him according to God’s command, bringing sacrifices as they seek his intercession.
We see in Job 42:9-10, “For the Lord had accepted Job. And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.” Job thus becomes both a mediator and a recipient of blessing, as he offers sacrifices on behalf of his friends and praying for them, he receives double of what he had before. Job stands as a shadow of the greater Mediator—our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the righteous sufferer, the rejected one, the intercessor for sinners, and the One whom God accepts on behalf of others.
As Isaiah 53:11 declares: “By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.
Substitution Before Restoration — The Order of the Gospel
Notice the divine order:
- Job is revealed
- Job and his friends were humbled
- A sacrifice is offered
- Intercession is made
- God accepts
- Restoration follows
This is not accidental. There is no restoration without mediation. In Job 42:10 we see: “And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” And in verses 12–13: “Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters.”
The Reunion. “Present Church and it’s Future Glory”
This reflects the very pattern of the gospel.
In Isaiah 53:10 we see: “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”
In Hebrews 9:15 we see, “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
Our Lord suffered on the cross and bore our sins. He rose on the third day by the power of God. The Father restored to Him the glory He had before. He now makes intercession for us, and we have the promise that we will be transformed—from our lowly bodies into glorified bodies—at the gathering of His saints.
In Hebrews 6:19 we see: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Job’s blessings extend to his family and friends. Once rejected, he is now surrounded again by those who had left him.
In Job 42:11 we see: “Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.” What a reunion!
This is not merely social restoration—it is covenantal restoration.
- It foreshadows the present church and the future gathering of the saints
- Those once confused, silent, or mistaken are brought together again
- God Himself publicly vindicates His servant
The present church is imperfect, sometimes mistaken, yet gathered by grace, around God’s accepted Servant
It also points forward to the final heavenly gathering—when all misunderstandings will end, and God will fully reveal Himself.
By His sovereign will, God allowed Job to suffer and presented him as a shadow of Jesus Christ to His elect. It is a revelation of the sovereign God, the forming of a humbled servant, a gracious restoration, and the gathering of the household of God.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God become the “son of man and the man of sorrows” suffered on behalf of us and showed a pattern for us to follow. God’s eternal purposes are fulfilled in our lives by the obedience of the faith of Christ that which is entrusted in us.
In Hebrews 12 we see: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God.” It also instructs us to consider Him who endured such suffering, not to despise the chastening of the Lord, and to understand that if we endure, God deals with us as with His sons.
In 1 Peter 1:6–7 we see: “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” As children of God, our perspective on life must be different from that of the world. Both believers and unbelievers face trials in this world; such experiences are common to all. However, believers recognize through their new life in Christ that their trials are part of God’s ordained plan and will work together for good according to His purpose.
We see in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” -All things- truly means all things—things that appear good to us and things that appear painful or difficult. Every circumstance in the life of a believer is under God’s sovereign control. A man must therefore believe in the immutability of God and understand that God has planned all things for His own glory. God is the Creator, and He is not obliged to give an account to His creatures. He has created us in Christ, and each of our circumstances is planned according to God’s own will and pleasure.
Through careful study of the Word of God, a child of God comes to know two fundamental truths: God is sovereign, and man is utterly depraved. In Jeremiah 17:9 we see: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” A man does not truly understand his own heart. If man is incapable to recognize the corruption within his own heart, then he is spiritually dead and he is in need of new life to acknowledge his wickedness. This light—the true understanding of man’s own condition—is something no man can see unless God Himself reveals it to him. By His grace, God has created us in Christ. He has given us all things needed for life and godliness.
The greatest asset a man can have in his life is the true knowledge of His creator. Jesus Christ, the very ‘living word of God” came to this world and showed us the Father. He has granted us His Spirit to live in us to teach us to all wisdom and understanding, and from us, springs up rivers of living water for our own hope and rest as well as for the benefit of people around us.
In Mathew 11:25-29 we see “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Hebrews 12:11-13 says “Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees. And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Dearly beloved, how extensive is your knowledge of God? Is it limited to the satisfaction of your desires? Do you really recognize the trials of your life as a necessity and they are the tutelage of the Father of your soul? Or do you desire to escape these trials by your efforts. A child of God must understand the authority of God and His perfect working in his life. He must accept the father’s chastisement through yielding to the working of the Sprit. Then your spirit will affirm to you that you are a child of God.
As we see in the epistle of Jude Vs. 24 and 25, “ Now unto Him that is able to guard you from stumbling and set you before the presence of His glory without blemish in exceeding joy, to the only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen