Sun.’s Devo -Our Refining

Read: Job 28:1-30:31; 2 Corinthians 2:12-17; Psalm 42:1-11; Proverbs 22:7 Job goes to great length to explain how to refine silver and gold from hard rock, then compares it to wisdom. Both are gotten from digging deep in the rock. Gold and silver come from a physical rock with great amount of effort and time. Wisdom comes from The Rock of Christ which also takes great effort and time. Job is getting closer to understanding that trials refine us and make us better if we allow the refining process to do its work. God understands this about man and custom orders our trials to help us gain wisdom which is better than gold and silver. Job remembers back before his trials at a time when all was going well and made sense. He was prosperous, honored and happy. Now he is totally humbled by God and feels abandoned by God. In Corinthians, we see the great concern and love Paul has for the church in Corinth. He cannot sleep well until he has heard how they are doing. Titus was to come give Paul the news of how they were doing and when he didn’t arrive when Paul thought he should, Paul went looking for him. Paul explains that the Good News is a message of gloom and doom to those who choose not to accept it but to those who do, it is the message of hope and life. Paul and his preachers did not say what the people wanted to hear to make them feel better, they preached the truth with conviction. Their message brought life or death depending on the heart that heard it. Lord, thank you for the trials we face today. May they be used to make us a better person for You. May we not blame you but let our tests refine us for your glory.