I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. ~Job 42:5
In his time, Job was the most righteous person on earth. He was so godly that the Lord took pleasure in pointing him out to Satan (Job 1:8). Yet, despite his love for God and his diligent obedience to His commands, even Job had not fully come to know God. The blessings God had given to Job had not revealed everything about God’s character.
There were characteristics that Job would come to realize only through adversity. So the Lord allowed Satan to test Job through suffering. Although Job lost everything he had, even his seven children, Job discovered that God was still with him.
Though he faced the most difficult and bewildering tribulations imaginable, Job came to understand that God was infinitely wiser than he (Job 42:1-4). As Job endured the insensitivity of his friends, he learned that God is the only One who is absolutely trustworthy. Job learned much about God through his anguish.
Finally, he confessed that at first he had only heard about God, but now, through his suffering, he had come to see God (Job 42:5). When you are in the midst of your trials, your Lord will reveal His character to you in ways you never knew. You will experience His strong and comforting presence. Like Job, you will learn that your Lord will remain, even when everyone else abandons you. You will see God more clearly as He takes you through the dark times. Then you will experience God in ways you had previously only heard about from others.