If you return to the Almighty you will be built up. – Job 22:23

As people come to know the Lord, it can be tempting to only think in terms of “if” and “then.” There are many times in the Bible that you read the word “if.” A quick online search says that little word occurs 1,673 times in the English Standard Version, and other versions or translations are similar. That little word can be both a challenge and a puzzle. It may elicit what psychologists call conditional reasoning because it does not stand alone. Generally, when an “if” references a real problem, ”then” will also be true. But is this always the case? Can a relationship with God be so easily defined by a formula? Is God a puzzle to be solved?

In the passage that precedes today’s verse in Job 22, Job’s friends make a lot of statements about God that sound good at first glance. However, they are actually misunderstandings of God hidden behind half-truths and cliché ideas. Similar to modern platitudes you might hear in church or on social media, these idioms come without context or a real understanding of the dynamic, living relationship we each have with Almighty God.

Job had not strayed from the Lord, making the call for him to return misplaced. Job’s suffering was for the greater purposes of God, not as a result of sin. While good does come from receiving instruction from the Lord and hiding His words in your heart, it does not prevent every heartache or adversity. Sometimes, you will face trials and tribulations along the way as God works out His good and eternal purposes for your good.

As long as you are alive, you are under construction, being continually reshaped and built up spiritually by the Lord. The thing for you to do is remain close to Him. Have faith that, as you walk in nearness with Him, no matter what happens, God is at work, He is with you, and He is good.