Monday 14th
Job 23:10
NIV – ‘But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.’
ESV – ‘But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.’
‘God holds the key of all unknown.’
J. Parker RH – 495
The first line of this hymn is an amazing statement to make and to cling onto, ‘God holds the key of all unknown’, it is a great hymn that reminds us that when we don’t know, God knows, when we are unsure of the next step to take, God has it planned out, when we don’t know what is lying around the corner, God knows, as we place our lives into his will and place our hand into his hand he will lead us, he will direct us, he will take us through, it leads us to say the second line, ‘And I am glad’.
Job was a man who had to face so much, that it could so easily have overwhelmed him to the point of no return, he had those who we call his comforters, he had his wife who also tried to advise him, but he clung on to his trust in God, however dark the circumstances became, because he had hope, because he had a confident assurance that God was in control, saying, ‘But he knows the way that I take . . .’ He knew that whatever the outcome, to use a New Testament verse, God was working everything out for his good. (Romans 8:28) Job continues, ‘I shall come out as gold’, this paints a picture of a refiner’s fire, getting rid of all the impurities so that the gold would be the purest and the best.
I am so glad that when I look over my life thus far, that God had it all planned out for me, and when there have been those difficult moments where I could not understand what was going on, God knew, when I did not know which way to turn, God had it sorted for me, when it came to making decisions, God was there to help me. And in it all and through it all, God has been working out his will, his best for me and for our family as we have obeyed and followed the leading of the Holy Spirit.
We can rest in the assurance that as we place our trust in God, he will unlock each day for us, and more than that he does not just open the door of each new day and say, ‘off you go’, he comes with us, ‘for, groping in my misty way, I feel his hand, I hear him say, ‘my help is sure’’.
Whatever you are faced with today, remember that God is with you, remind yourselves of the truth of the Scripture, ‘God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in the time of trouble.’ If you are unsure of the future, rest in the knowledge that the Lord God is with you, and Jesus himself, said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you,’ If you are feeling alone, remember that the Scripture reminds us when my mother and father forsake me even then the Lord will take me in.If you are feeling at a loss, feeling as if all the cares of the world have come crashing down upon you, then remember that God cares for you and invites you to cast all your care and all your worry on him, for he cares for you. Feeling lost, then allow the Lord to come alongside you and place your hand in his hand, he will lead you. God does hold the key to all the unknown, be glad and trust him, for he knows the best options for every one of us. He will work it all out as we allow him to be in control.
In the words of the song that has been such a blessing to us over the last year or so with the pandemic, ‘Because he lives, I can face tomorrow’.
God holds the key of all unknown,
And I am glad;
If other hands should hold the key,
Or if He trusted it to me,
I might be sad.
What if tomorrow’s cares were here,
Without its rest?
I’d rather He unlocked the day,
And, as the hours swing open, say,
My will is best.
The very dimness of my sight
Makes me secure;
For, groping in my misty way,
I feel His hand; I hear Him say,
My help is sure.
I cannot read His future plans;
But this I know:
I have the smiling of His face,
And all the refuge of His grace
While here below.
Enough; this covers all my wants;
And so I rest;
For what I cannot, He can see,
And in His care I saved shall be,
Forever blest.