I shall come forth as gold

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

Job makes another triumphant declaration (a previous one is found in 19:25, 26) in today's verse. It comes in two parts:

He knows ... When you are overwhelmed, remember, He knows. All the details of your life are open to God, who sees everything. He knows the path on which you walk; he knows what you are going through right now. God knows, and all is well.

When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold ... Does it feel to you like the fiery trials of this life are burning you up? That the test is more than the strength to endure it? Gold comes out of the furnace purified; and that's how Job sees himself, coming forth (emerging from the experience) pure as gold.

May God's amazing grace surround you, and may His strength fortify you to say, as did Job, "I shall come forth from this experience, like gold."

I will restore to you the years

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you." Joel 2:25

This verse speaks of restoration.

God's people, in Joel's day, had turned away from serving Him. Other attractions had filled their lives. God punished them for their unfaithfulness, just like He had said He would, if they continued on their wayward course. Their crops failed, the rivers dried up, the cattle and sheep had no grazing. Then the locusts moved in - God's great army. They came in swarms and consumed everything that was left, leaving desolation in their wake.

Finally God allowed another army, that of a neighboring nation, to conquer and carry His people away, captives of a foreign king.

Today's verse tells of God restoring to His people all they had lost, provided they return to Him and serve Him with all their hearts. God kept His side of the bargain.

The lesson is timeless: if you are experiencing the desolation caused by the locusts that have eaten "every green thing" in your life, His message is: "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." (Joel 2:12) And when you do, you will experience restoration. God is so patient with all of us - is this Amazing Grace, or what?

But he cried out all the more

Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Luke 18:39

Our verse comes from the story of a blind beggar, who lived near Jericho, and sat by the roadside begging. You can read the story in verses 35 – 43. In Mark's gospel, the blind man is identified as Bartimaeus (see Mark 10:46). He really had no name; just 'son of Timaeus'.

Blind Bart, the beggar, heard a crowd passing by one day, and asked what was going on. He was told that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And so he cried out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.' The crowd tried to silence him, but he paid them no heed. He just cried out more urgently for Jesus to help him.

Then Jesus stops. Can you see the dust from the moving crowd swirling around hundreds of feet and robed bodies? Jesus calls for the blind man to be brought to Him. He gives the crowd a task to do – those who, seconds earlier, have tried to silence the beggar. They bring the blind man to Jesus. Can you smell the stench of his tattered clothes and unwashed body?

But He, who was born in a stable, who had grown up in poverty, does not shrink from touching the poor and helpless. Jesus asks, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' Bartimaeus replies, 'Lord, that I may be able to see'. Jesus touches his eyes (see Matthew's account of the story) and immediately he can see. What must it have been like? – the first he saw was the face of his Healer. No wonder he followed Jesus, praising God!

Maybe you feel today like you're a nobody – like you've been sitting in the dark for a long time, and that the passing crowd tries to silence your cries for help. Like Bart, just 'cry out the more'. Be persistent, and your cry will be heard. Take courage - Jesus is listening for the cry of His child for help!