We notice that Job's friends were of little help to him. If God decides to bring you through the thick and dreadful darkness, people will not understand you. Being one of God's conquerors is a one-on-one interaction with God. You cannot bring your closest friend with you. You are in the hands of your Creator. If other people have not been there as yet they will not understand what you are talking about.

Instead, like Job's friends, they may give you a lot of well intended advice. But it will be of little use. In fact, God, addressing Job's counselors, told them they had not spoken to Him the thing that was right, as Job did, and they had better have Job pray for them!

Job's wife, who certainly suffered from many of the tragedies that came upon Job, was ready for Job to abandon his integrity and curse God. So she was no help, the poor thing. She had lost her children as well, as Job did also. Job's wife experienced much of the suffering but did not receive the fame or the knowledge of God that Job did, as far as we know.

The end result of Job's affliction was a humbling of himself and a great increase in his knowledge of God. This shall be true of us if God is pleased to bring us through such an experience. As was true of the Apostle Paul, the strength of Christ will be increased in us because of the weakness that has come upon us.

This kind of experience burns away that which is chaff in our life. We may think we are a great one in the Kingdom of God because we are so well known and loved in our assembly. But then God decides to bring us from the knowledge of Bethel, the house of God, to the knowledge of El-bethel, the God of the house of God.

During the time of darkness we come to know God better and ourselves better. Job discovered that he knew nothing at all, and also how awesome his Creator is. This is exactly what happens to us. We discover that while we thought we were a burning and shining light in our assembly, we actually knew nothing at all about God. And we learn, as did the Apostle John, that the Lord Jesus Christ indeed is more majestic than the carpenter's weary Son who trudged through the land of Judea.

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, And among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last." (Revelation 1:12-17—NIV)

To be continued.