Reflecting His Radiance

February 6

Every day remind yourself of your own ability, of your good mind and affirm that you can make something really good out of your life. Norman Vincent Peale, The Tough-Minded Optimist

Perhaps even more important than Rev. Peale's advice to remind ourselves daily of our abilities, our good mind and the good we can make of our lives is the more realistic promises in the Word of God that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22, 23) and that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Oh, our resolve is a wonderful asset in the ordinary days of life. When we're young, we can resolve to be good students and kind friends and obedient children, but it becomes a bit more of a challenge when we leave the friendly little world of diligence to our studies and obedience to our doting parents.

When we are required to face the less-than-friendly environment of the business world or the challenges of dealing with difficult people, our resources, our resolve, and our patience can be tried to the snapping point. When nothing we contrive within our futile imagination can bring our conflicts under control, we begin to lose our determination—and the reality of our limitations sets in. There is one distinct advantage to coming to the end of our 'self' in any situation, however. It may not initially appear to be an advantage, but ultimately it is.

For, when we have reached the end of our own ability, when there is no human help available, when there is an abysmal lack of natural resources, the only place we have to turn is to Jesus. Sometimes, His voice is clear and His answer is satisfying, but sometimes we are in the same situation that confronted Job. When trial after trial beset him, that man of faith endeavored to cling with steadfast resolve to the God he knew was true and worthy of all his trust. When his wife and his neighbors and his friends turned on him with a fury, wagging their fingers in his face and telling him his dilemma would be over if only he would—and each gave his counsel which ranged from confronting the fact that his honorable life had been a sham to cursing God to die! (See Job 8:6 and 2:9).

Job knew in his heart of hearts that he was trusting, he was believing, he was fixing his eyes on his only Source of help, but in doing all the right things, the right answers did not come. Job could not begin to fathom what was going on in the unseen realm. He could not begin to know that God was affirming His confidence in Job even as Job's confidence was being systematically torn down by his 'friends,' his self-appointed 'counselors'.

After much loss and much confusion, Job came to understand that God had not abandoned him--quite the contrary! God had been extolling him before His ancient foe! (See Job 1:8). We, too, need to be aware that there is an unseen realm where a battle is being waged for the souls of men, where our God and Savior is pulling for us--even when it seems we are abandoned. If we can trust the Lord at those difficult times, we will, like Job, "come forth as gold," Job 23:10. The refiner's fire is not pleasant. We don't seek it out. But when we emerge from it we will see the radiance of Jesus clearly reflected in us.