Trusting God with today - @2023 Charles F. Stanley JULY 9 True Knowing “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You.” JOB 42:5 You may have heard it said that a person does not really know who his friends are until the bottom drops out. In much the same way, we will never personally know how truly faithful, strong, and wise Jesus is apart from adversity. Indeed, if our lives are free from pain, turmoil, and sorrow, our experience of God will remain purely academic. Our trust in Him would never increase, mature, or be strengthened. Our relationship with Him could be compared to that with a great-great-grandfather about whom we’ve heard stories yet never met personally. We would have great admiration but no intimacy or fellowship. That is not the kind of relationship God wants with His children. Through the costly death of Christ, the Lord has opened the way for us to have direct access to Him, and He wants nothing to stand between us. So He engineers circumstances through which He can reveal Himself to us in a personal and profound way and we can bond with Him emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. When difficult seasons arise, do not despair. Instead, rejoice that God is about to reveal Himself to you in a powerful way, and get ready to experience His faithfulness firsthand. Jesus, thank You for revealing Yourself to me through all my circumstances. Amen.