"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT A PROMISE FROM GOD TO US"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT A PROMISE FROM GOD TO US"

2nd Corinthians 6:18 Will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.

2nd Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Some explanatory thoughts, explanations, applications, questions and a prayer:

Paul spent the majority of this 2nd letter to the Corinthians trying to protect them from the influence of false teachers who had crept into the church and were polluting it and corrupting it. The teachers were not only false in their teaching, but they were also false accusers of Paul, undermining his authority by accusing him to the Corinthians of not being a legitimate apostle. Truth accepted and responded to produces changed lives, lives that are conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Lies from Satan do not accomplish the goal of God.
In these two verses we have both a promise and what we ought to do with that promise and what God will do in our lives as a result.

1. Here's the promise from the Lord:
2nd Corinthians 6:18 Will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.

God was calling His own people back to Himself. The false teachers had effectively put a wedge between the people's potential growth and God by their lies and false doctrine. Thus God was calling the people to come back to Him.

And not only calling them to come back to love Him back, but affirming to them that He would be their father in real life. He wanted to be responsible for them, and to take care of them. Listen again to what He says to them.

2nd Corinthians 6:18 Will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.

The wonderful thing here is that this is a promise from God. Therefore it's true. It was true for the Corinthians and it's true for you today also. He wants to be in your Father, and He wants You to be His children. And this expression is from the LORD Almighty.

Praise God for His heart of love towards His people.

2. Here's what we ought to do with this promise from the Lord, and here's what will happen to us if we take it to heart and respond appropriately.

2nd Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Now we have application. First we have a promise and now we have application. That is the normal sequence in the Bible. God tells us the truth, and than tells us what to do with the truth, and tells us what will happen to us if we apply His truth, or in this case His promise.
Let's look at this application in some detail.

(1) We have these promises.

You and I as believers are possessors of this promise and all the promises in the Bible. They are ours. They belong to us.
There is no question about that. It's not as if this may be ours, no, it is ours. You have this promise also. God has made this promise to you and He cannot lie.

Here's how this promise reads in the NLT:

2nd Cor 6:18 Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

(2) Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and and spirit.
Not only are we to separate ourselves or come out and away from them, i.e the false teachers, but we are also not to touch their filthy things.
So our cleansing takes place by our separation from that which is not of God.
We just put it off, leave it, walk away from it, stop the behavior, etc.
We turn from our sins and turn to and trust in God.

(3) Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2nd Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

As we respond to God's promise, here’s what we are doing and here's what will happen to us.

(1) We are perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
We are to work towards complete purity is the idea.
The false teachers had brought in much impurity to the church, telling them that certain practices were okay for them to participate in. But this is not true.
God wants us to not give ourselves over to our sinful nature, but to do all we can by His grace and power through faith to work to being as pure as we can be before Him.

(2) We are being transformed, or conformed, or growing in the Lord Jesus Christ as He would want us to, and intends for us to grow.

As we work towards living a life of purity something else happens in our lives. We will grow.We will be transformed into the image of Christ.
All of this takes place because we are walking in wisdom and wisdom starts with fearing God, respecting God, living a life of reverence towards God.

Some Questions:

1. Have you realized how real the spiritual battle is that we are in?

2. Do you see how that our enemy is a liar and cannot tell the truth?

3. Is it comforting to know that God loves You and gives You promises to help you march all the way to heaven in one piece?

4. Is there any area of your life right now that God is speaking to You about and calling you into the life He has for you?

5. Do you know what blessings await you as you obey Him?

A Prayer:

Father, You are the shepherd of Your people. You look over us. You watch over us. You know when the enemy is about trying to destroy Your work, and You give us Your Word to guide us into the truth and the right and protective path to live. Thank you for all of that, Lord, thank You.
In Jesus’ name

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

“SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHO GOD IS"

“SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHO GOD IS"

Psalm 46:1 A Psalm "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

In this Psalm David is expressing the many things God is and the many things that God does for his people.
We are just going to look at one verse.

1. God is our refuge.
Psalm 46:1 A Psalm "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."

David understood that God was actually this for him, and for all who know Him and trust in Him.
He is our refuge.
The word refuge means, shelter, hope, trust. Shelter from rain or storm, from danger, from falsehood.

What a blessing to know that in times of peril, difficulty, and danger that our God is a refuge for us, for you personally.
God is Your refuge.
In fact that is one of His names, if you will, "God is our Refuge”.

2. God is our strength.
Psalm 46:1 A Psalm "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."

Also, along with being our refuge, He is our strength.
The idea behind this word is that of strong, power, and mighty boldness.
God is our strength.
Not we are our strength, but He is our strength.
Here's what Paul said about God being our strength.

2nd Cor 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2nd Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

3. God is a our very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 A Psalm "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."

This is such a comfort. God is not only our refuge, and strength, but look at what is said here, He is a “very present help in trouble”.

There are three parts to this truth.
God is very present.
God is our help
And, He is very present to help us in trouble.

What it means, is that he is always ready to help us in times of trouble.

Some questions:

1. Do you ever think of God as your refuge?

2. How about your strength? Do you really know He is your strength, do you find Him strengthening You?

3. This next one is one we are more prone to act on. Finding his help in times of trouble.

4. Can you think of the last few times God has really helped you when you were in trouble?

A Prayer:

Father, these Psalms You have left for us are incredibly wonderful and comforting to our souls. They really speak so often to the situations in our own lives. Thank You for making them available for us, Lord. May we pass them on to others as we fellowship, and seek to share Your help and comfort with those who are in need. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

“SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US, AND WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US TO DO"

“SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US, AND WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US TO DO"

2nd Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation

2nd Corinthians 5:19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

2nd Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

Paul was describing the ministry that God had given to him. And in this section of the letter he goes into great detail as to what the ministry is in it's purest and simplest sense. He explains here that God has done something for us, (actually a number of things) and that in turn, God has given us something to do in our service to Him.

1. God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.
2nd Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Reconciliation means that God has brought us to Himself. We were not with Him, but He has provided a way for us to be brought to Him, into a relationship with Him.
He did this through Jesus Christ.

Jesus came and died for our sins, was buried, and then rose from the dead. And when we turn to Him, believing in Him, and receiving Him, we are brought into union with God. We are now with God, whereas we were separated from Him, and without Him, now we are with Him.
We have been reconciled to God.

2. God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
2nd Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Having reconciled us, God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
That is, we are instruments, servants, of God that He uses through the gospel to bring others to Him, just like He brought us to Himself.
It's very important to see that this is our role, this is our ministry from our Lord.

3. God was actually in Christ reconciling the world to Himself and has not imputed our trespasses to us.
2nd Corinthians 5:19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

When Jesus died on the cross we are told that God Himself was in Christ.
How this can be is a mystery, but it's true nonetheless.
God has personally brought us to Himself.
Words fail us to express our gratitude to Him for what He has done for us.

4. God has made us ambassadors for Christ, and He is working through us.
2nd Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

This is just another way of saying what was said earlier. That God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
We are heaven's ambassadors.
Ambassadors represent a leader, and they bring the message of their leader to those to whom they are sent.
We have God's message, the Gospel.
We are to share that message by example and by verbal proclamation to those in our world, and to those God sends us to.

God saved us, and now He wants to use us to help others become what we are, "reconciled to God”.

Questions:

1. Can you remember the first time you heard the gospel message and really understood it?

2. Do you remember when you responded to the message of the gospel?

3. Do you know that at that time it was God speaking to you, and it was to God that you responded?

4. Do you know that at that very moment you were now brought back to God Himself?

5. Would you please take a moment to meditate on the fact that you have a responsibility to God as His servant, You are His ambassador to share the gospel with others. God wants You to be faithful to Him.

6. Will you pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon You and make you filled with love, compassion, and heaven's ability to share Christ with others?

A Prayer:

Father, You Yourself were in Christ bringing us to Yourself by paying the price for our sins. No one else could do this for us. We could not pay for our sins, nor can we erase them, nor can any other person do for us what Christ has done. Lord, though You speak to men all around the world 24 hours a day through creation, it's us You use to verbalize to a person's mind the wonderful eternal life giving good news of the Jesus Christ. I'm afraid, Lord, that we may not have understood this ministry You have given us. And I'm afraid that maybe we have been negligent to be as faithful as we ought to be in this ministry. Lord, for those of us who are simply afraid to tell others about Jesus, would You please do whatever it takes to make us into faithful ambassadors of heaven. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE TRUE CONDITION OF THE UNSAVED PERSON"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE TRUE CONDITION OF THE UNSAVED PERSON"

2nd Corinthians 4:4 Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

Paul is explaining the ministry, and in so doing gives us very important insight into the true condition of the unsaved.
In this verse we learn what they are, and why they are the way they are, and what the goal of Satan is in their lives. May this truth help us to have compassion for the lost, and to know how to pray for them.

1. The unsaved man's mind has been blinded.
2nd Corinthians 4:4 Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Normally we think of blindness as being associated with the eyes, but here Paul says their hearts are blinded.
They are unable to see from, and with, their hearts what you and I can see who have already come to faith in Jesus Christ.
They are said to be "who do not believe”. That is their condition, they do not believe. They are unsaved because they have not believed.

2. The unsaved man's mind has been blinded with a purpose.
2nd Corinthians 4:4 Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Please notice who blinded them and why they are blinded.
2nd Corinthians 4:4 Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

They are blind because the "god of this age”, who is Satan, has blinded them. We are not given much more explanation in the Bible about how he did this, and or how he does it, but he does. He blinds their hearts.

The reason he blinds their hearts is to prevent the light of the gospel, or the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ, from being seen and understood by them.

In order for a person to be saved they must come to an understanding of the gospel and they must believe. Satan makes every effort he can to keep them from seeing, so that they will not have the gospel to believe in.

This verse helps us to see just how perverse and evil Satan is. He is the ultimate spiritual terrorist, and he is actively on the loose doing his work in the lives of the unsaved.

3. The unsaved man's soul can be saved by the light of the gospel shinning into their hearts and believing in Christ.
2nd Corinthians 4:4 Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

God, and God alone can remove the blindness of a man's soul. God uses prayer and preaching to bring about this ability to see.
He also brings conviction into the hearts of the unsaved.
He brings them to a point where they are convinced that the gospel is the truth they need in order to be saved from their sin, and the coming eternal judgement of God upon them.

May we be encouraged to never give up praying for a lost person. As long as they are alive they stand a chance to have the blindness removed, and for the first time be able to see the truth as it is in Jesus Christ.

Once they see the truth about Jesus, they need to turn to Him, believe in Him, and receive Him, and they will be saved.

Here's how this verse reads in the NLT:
2nd Corinthians 4:4 Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don’t understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

One thing God does is set our hearts to praying for the lost.
Let's not only pray but believe God to save the lost.
There are lost people in our lives.
They can become saved souls.

Questions:

1. How many people right off the top of you mind do you come in contact with daily that are potential believers?

2. How many people in our own church do you think are not yet saved?

3. Do you realize that you were once blinded by Satan?

4. And, together we can thank God that He has opened our eyes to the truth and led us to repentance by His goodness.

5. Will you try to pray regularly for the people in your own church (even if you don't know who they are) to be saved?

6. Do you believe that God wants them to come to repentance and be saved?

7. God hears prayers. Let's be a praying people who don't give up on praying for lost family members, church members, co-workers, friends and neighbors.

A Prayer:

Father, right now, in this very minute, we want to pray for the lost in those categories we have just mentioned. Tomorrow is Sunday, and we will be gathering together to worship You, and perhaps sitting next to us, in front of us, behind us, or several chairs away from where we are sitting. Imagine for just a moment their true condition. They can't see the truth. You can, but they can't. Lord, bring an awakening to our churches, and to the lost in them. Bring an awakening to the saved in our churches who have fallen asleep spiritually, and are sleep walking through life, unaware of what they are doing and what is truly going on around them. Jesus, You have all authority and power in heaven and earth vested in You. Move amongst us, Lord, as only You can do. Save the lost, awaken the sleepers.
And as someone once said about the role of the minister, “he is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable”. May it be so, Lord, may it be so. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT SOWING AND REAPING"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT SOWING AND REAPING"

Proverbs 22:8 He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail.

Proverbs 22:9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

The Book of Proverbs is God's Book to us, and for us, so that we may have God's wisdom in the practical day to day matters of life.
Literally, there is almost no part of life that is not dealt with in these 31 chapters.
In these two verses, we learn something about what has been called the Law of Sowing and Reaping. In these verses the law, or principle, is connected to the sowing of iniquity of sin, and what one will reap. And, it's connected to the sowing of care for others, being generous in helping others, and the reaping that will take place.

1. There is a principle God has built into life, and we call it Sowing and Reaping.
Paul states this principle clearly in Galatians 6:7-8

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Paul tells us not to be deceived about all this. God will not be mocked. In other words, man is accountable to God in heaven for his actions here below on earth. The principle is simple, and God ensures that this principle is active in life. “For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”.

The two verses in Proverbs are specific examples of this principle. Two types of sowing and two types of reaping.

2. A man can choose to sow iniquity or live in sin, and he will reap two things.

Proverbs 22:8 He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail.

Here's how this reads in the NLT:
Proverbs 22:8 Those who plant seeds of injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will end.

If a man lives in an unjust way, he is planting seeds as he goes.
God tells us that a harvest will come from those seeds.
The harvest will be one of disaster and terror.
And that one day this man's life of sowing injustice will come to an end.

3. Or a man can choose to sow generously, investing in helping others, and he will also reap.

Proverbs 22:9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

This is now the contrast, the other way a man can live or sow as he goes through life.
He can be a man whose life is marked by generosity.
He is said to have a generous eye, or heart.
And that if he is generous he will be blessed.
His generosity is expressed in helping the poor.

Again in the NLT it reads:
Proverbs 22:9 Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.

How interesting that man wants to keep what he has, but in doing so, he does not find satisfaction.
But on the other hand, if he is caring for others who are in need, he will find himself being blessed.
God has made life to be this way.

Life is more than food and drink, says the Lord.
Life is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14)

Some Questions:

1. Have you had enough experience in life to know the truthfulness of this principle?

2. Have you experienced the emptiness that comes from living a life of iniquity, or sowing iniquity?

3. And, have you experienced the blessing of sowing generously into the lives of other people?

4. God has given us an example to follow. He did not sow iniquity into this world, but rather love as shown by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. Look what He has reaped, multitudes of children adopted into His family. We who believe are some of them, and we have been made part of an eternal family, all because of God's generosity and grace towards us.

A Prayer:

Father, Your Word is our daily bread. You feed us the truth that renews our minds and gives us a clear path to walk down. You show us what to avoid and what to pursue. You want to bless our lives, it's Your good pleasure to give us the kingdom. You tell us not to be afraid.
You encourage us sow to righteousness while we live here on this earth, waiting to be with You in heaven. It's then that we will reap the greatest blessing of all. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT ENCOURAGING YOURSELF IN THE LORD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT ENCOURAGING YOURSELF IN THE LORD"

Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

As with many of the Psalms this is another one where David is have a very challenging and painful time in his life and ministry.
He expresses the pain in his heart and twice in this Psalm he repeats the verse we are looking at. One of the times has a slight variation but the main point is the same. This is a tremendous prescription for a troubled soul.

1. David spoke to himself about his own soul.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Please notice what David did here. This is a very helpful pattern and example for anyone who is troubled to consider applying in their own life. It's not complicated. It's very simple.
David was speaking to himself about the condition ( which was that his soul was cast down and disquieted )

2. David asked himself two different questions about his own soul.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

In essence David was asking himself why he was do discouraged. And he was asking himself why he was so sad.
Believers down through the ages have found this approach helpful.
It really is slowing everything down and attempting to get focused on what is happening within yourself.
If you are troubled at this time in your life, may I suggest you try doing what David did, and see how God might help you.
You may also want to share this passage and Psalm with a friend who is troubled as well.

3. David then advised himself as to what to do.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

After having questioned himself, he than began telling himself what to do.
What he told himself is simple yet profound and yields great fruit.
He told himself to "hope in God" Or to "put his hope in God"

Who can deny that this is undeniably a win win situation.
The Bible encourages us to put our hope in God.
Psalm 40:4 Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

4. Finally, David expressed faith that God wast going to help him in his trouble.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

So after have questioned himself, and after having advised himself about trusting in God, David expresses his faith and hope as to what was going to happen.
He knew that beyond his current troubles that he would eventually be praising God.
And he described God as "The help of my countenance and my God"
David regarded God as his Savior and his God personally.

Some questions:

1. Are you in a time of trouble at this time?

2. Have you ever read this Psalm and this verse before?

3. If you have read it before, have you ever really given it any serious thought and consideration as a good example to follow.?

4. Isn't it encouraging to know that when we trust God and put our hope in God that we reap the benefits?

A prayer:

Father You have not hidden from us the realities of life in the people of the Bible. Even King David had his share of troubles.
Thank You for the examples we have to look at, and the lessons we an learn and apply in our own lives.
We pray for ourselves if we are troubled, and we pray for all those in our own church family who may be troubled, that You would lead them to put their hope and trust in You. Help them Lord to look away from their troubles and look intently and consistently at You.
In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO BEING TRIED BY GOD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO BEING TRIED BY GOD"

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

But he knows where I am going. And when he has tested me like gold in a fire, he will pronounce me innocent.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

In this as with most sections of Job, Job was simply expressing what was on his heart regarding the tremendous fiery trial he was going through. Also many of the things he said were in response to the so called wisdom that his 3 friends were giving him.
They consistently told him that his problems had to be because of some sin in his life. And, in Job's case this was not the case as it's often not the case with God's people. They could be being attacked as here by the devil, God could simply be allowing a trial to mature and teach His child. Whatever the case may be, what we have in this verse is the expression of faith by a man who was being severely tested.

1. God knows the way that we take.
Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job understood that God understood exactly what was happening in his life. God knew where Job was going.
And so it is with all of us who are in God's Family.
God knows each and every detail, down to the very hairs on our head.
So in the midst of this fiery trial, Job expressed his faith in God.
Job knew that the trial did not in any way change the unchanging reality that God was with Him, and knew Him intimately.
And so it is with you my dear brother or sister in Christ, God is with you also.

2. God tests us, and there will come a conclusion to the test.
Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job also understood ( as best he could ) that what had happened to him, and what was happening to him was a trial, or a testing of his faith.
Additionally Job understood that trials are like seasons, they come and then they go.
So Job was looking ahead as it were to the fact that the trial he was in would come to end.
And this is exactly what happens to all of us in Christ.
We are in a trial and the trial will be over at some time in the future.

3. God will refine those He tests, and they will come forth as gold ( refined and purified gold )
Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

Here Job expresses more than just knowing he was in a trial.
He explains what he knew was going to happen to him through this trial.
He knew what God would do in his life through the means of this trial.
Job was looking ahead to the future, that time beyond the trial.

Job knew that God was refining him, purifying his life, and he likened what he would become to what happens to gold when it is heated up and the result being a pure gold. The dross is removed and the gold is now minus the dross, and is of purer type.
This is precisely what happens to God's children who trust Him through the trials He allows us to go through.
God refines our faith and consequently changes our lives, matures us, makes us stronger etc, etc.

Some questions:

1. What did you think when you read this verse today?

2. What was the first thought that came to your mind?

3. Were you thinking back to trials you have been through and were saying, "amen" that is what happened to me also?

4. Did this verse give you hope if you are the middle of a trial?

5. Will you believe the truth of this verse today and find the comfort of God in so doing?

A prayer:

Father we will one day meet Job personally and be able to talk to him. Now we only know him through the pages of Your wonderful Word.
We had even heard his name before we were christians in many cases. We know him as a man that suffered so greatly.
And Father we know him as a man who hung in there throughout his ordeal and came out on the other side more blessed than he could have ever imagined. There are many of us who can testify to that in our lives as well.
For Your faithfulness we say "Thank You Lord" And we want You to know what great blessings we receive from Your Word.
In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.