Pray the word with David Platt as a resource from Radical.net.

And conceal pride for a man. He keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from

perishing by the sword. So what Elihu is saying here is very different than what

Job's friends had been saying to him all along. Job's friends had been saying,

Job, you're suffering because you're wicked. But Elihu is saying, you're

suffering, Job, and God is refining your faith in the middle of it. It may not be that

you're suffering specifically because of some sin or evil or wickedness in your heart

and your life. At the same time that does it mean that even innocent suffering, suffering

when you've not done something specifically wrong, God is not still working in ways that

are good for you to refine your faith. You keep reading down in Job chapter 33 and you

see this expressed in different ways. Elihu keeps talking about how God redeems our

soul from going down into the pit, how God protects us from the pit that we may be

lighted with the light of life. So when you think about suffering in your life and for

some of you, it's not just like an intellectual exercise. You're walking through it right

now. You're walking through hard days. See the picture here in Job 33 in the middle

of suffering in ways we don't usually see. God is saving, protecting, working for our

good. He is refining our faith in ways that are really good for us. I need this reminder

in the middle of hard days that I'm guessing every one of us does. And we know this is true

because of God's promises to us in a place like Romans chapter 8, right? God is working

in all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

And that purpose is good, conforming us more into the image of Jesus Romans 8, 29 and 30

talks about in a way that will one day lead to our glorification. So we pray, God, help

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