Job 23: 10 ‘But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

DAILY READING –Acts 7:23-8:1a; Deuteronomy 31-32; Job 19

The book, ‘Imprisoned For Christ: A True Story’ was written about  Pastor Christo Kulichev,  an evangelical pastor  in Bulgaria who was imprisoned and exiled for almost four years for his faith in Jesus Christ. The book tells of his false imprisonment because the officials of the Balkan prison never charged him with any crime, but made him serve time.

On January 9, 1985 he was arrested, tried, and imprisoned for disobedience to the Communist regime. During his time in prison he made Christ known every way he could. When he got out he wrote, “Both prisoners and jailers asked many questions, and it turned out that we had a more fruitful ministry there than we could have expected in church. God was better served by our presence in prison than if we had been free.”

After his release he had a leading function in the Bulgarian Church and was also editor of the Evangelical newspaper Zornitza (Morning Star).

Though it seemed the communist government  were restricting him, they only ended up helping to expand his ministry.

Sometimes what may appear as tribulation in your life may actually be God expanding the scope of your mission. Sometimes we may pass through tough times that really try our faith. But whatever we go through while having faith in Christ, it is all for a purpose. There is a plan God is working out. Though things may not look good at first, always understand that you are being pruned for a reason.

And as Job said ‘When He hath tried me I shall come forth as gold’. [Job 23;10]  When you are a child of God things don’t happen to you anyhow, there is a reason behind every season of life. Your life is following a divine script.  Sometimes God can use  difficult situations to move you from your comfort zone into the place of training for the ministry he has for you. Change is often not comfortable. Leaving behind the familiar and venturing into the unknown can even be scary. But in the case of Moses, Joseph, Daniel, David, it seemed none of them could come into their destined place until they had first passed through a process of hardship that trained them for where they were destined for.

In Isaiah 66:19 God said ‘and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations.., to the isles afar that have not heard My Name, neither have seen My Glory, and they shall declare My Glory among the gentiles’.

Wherever God leads always understand it is for the purpose of declaring His glory. We are created and prepared for the purpose of manifesting God’s Glory.  Everything that is being done in our lives is for the purpose of declaring His Glory. Even the trials and tribulations you may seem to have passed through this year are all to His glory. God said in Isaiah 43;7  ‘Even everyone that is called by My Name, for I have created him for My Glory’.  And verse 21 says  ‘this people have I formed for Myself, they shall shew forth My Praise’.

What looks like tribulation right now is working out for your good, and The Lord shall be glorified through your testimony.

As they year draws to a close look back at everything that happened this year and return all the glory and praise to God. Yes a lot of good things have happened but there may also have been one or two things that you fully didn’t understand. But despite all it has been for God’s glory. And  when the enemy thought he was persecuting you, you were only being purified by the fire to offer unto God worthy praise. Because the greater the test, the sweeter the testimony.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for everything that has happened in my life this year. Everywhere and in everything I have seen Your faithfulness. I truly want to bless You for Your marvelous helps and may my life continually bring glory to You at all times in Jesus Name..

Quote :

The test you are going through in life today is not for your destruction, it is for your testimony. – WORDBITE 222.