When Only God Understands

Daily Devotional – Thursday, June 8, 2023
But He knows the way that I take. When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
Job 23:10 (NKJV)

Richard Philips spent forty-six years in prison on false charges. He went into prison aged 26 and came out aged 72. This innocent man spent his entire productive life in jail on trumped up charges. Only God understood this man’s agony.

Only the Almighty Comprehends

To the society and his fellow prisoners, Richard was just another criminal intent of denying his guilt to the end. Many in his family may also not have believed in Richard’s innocence. The criminal justice system had condemned him to life imprisonment but no one seemed to care.

Biblical Job was in a similar situation. His children were dead. All his property was gone. He was now battling a strange illness. Job himself did not understand what was going on. Where was the God he had served so faithfully?

He Knows the Way that I Take

Job’s friend aggravated the situation. While they had come to comfort him, they started condemning him. Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite emphasized that Job had sinned against God, hence his suffering.

There was no way Job could convince his friends and the society that he had not sinned against God. Nevertheless, he maintained his innocence, stating, “But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10).

When Humans Misunderstand Us

Job cannot see God’s face but he knows that the Almighty reads thoughts and motives and is aware of His servant’s innocence. He compares his situation to gold being refined in a crucible and eventually coming out clean of dross.

Like Richard and Job, we often find ourselves in situations where the world (including people close to us) misunderstands us. When we experience financial, health, family and other challenges, people conclude we are suffering because of sin.

When Only God Understands

In such moments, we must turn to God and ask for strength to endure the crucible. When the world deserts you and none one seems to understand you, turn to your heavenly Father, for He only knows why you have to go through trials.

If you are undergoing trials, yet you are innocent, trust the process and allow God to inculcate His character in you. Do not fret about people who malign and discriminate against you. Remember, there are situations when only God understands.

Prayer
Dear God, when the world misunderstands me, I will trust in You because only You knows my heart.