664 When God Tries Mankind’s Faith
I
When God tries man’s faith, not one person bears true witness,
not one person bears true witness,
not one is capable of offering his all,
not one is capable of offering his all;
rather, man continues to hide and refuses to open himself,
as if God were going to ravish his heart.
Even Job never truly stood firm during his trial,
nor did he emanate sweetness amidst suffering.
All people produce a faint hint of green in the warmth of springtime;
they never stay green in the cold blasts of winter.
With his bony and emaciated stature, man cannot meet God’s intentions.
II
In all of humanity, there is no one who can serve as a model for others,
because all men are basically alike and no different from each other,
with little to distinguish them one from another.
Therefore, even today men still cannot know God’s works fully.
Only when God’s chastisement descends on all mankind
will they, unbeknownst to themselves, become aware of His works,
and without God’s doing anything or compelling anyone,
man will come to know Him, and thereby witness His works.
This is God’s plan, it’s the aspect of His works that is made manifest,
and it is what man should know.
from The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God’s Words to the Entire Universe, Chapter 26