READING: Job 22-24
“Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.”
Job 23:10
The days are tough ones when you’re waiting for God to answer your prayer—and in Job’s case, to vindicate you—but it seems like God cannot be found. Job felt that way at times. Whether he went to the east, west, north, or south, Job could only conclude, “He is not there . . . I cannot perceive Him . . . I cannot see Him . . . I cannot find Him” (Job 23:8-9). In the midst of his despair, Job seemingly could not find God anywhere.
That perceived reality did not eliminate Job’s ultimate trust in God, however. He remained certain that God knew where he was and who he was. In fact, he surely assumed that God knew his heart; Job had “followed in His tracks,” had “not departed from the commands of His lips,” and had “treasured the words of His mouth more than [his] daily food” (Job 23:11-12). Moreover, Job believed that God was testing him and that he would “emerge as pure gold” (Job 23:10). There is little here to suggest that Job understood the “why” behind the test—indeed, he was “terrified in His presence” and “afraid of Him” (Job 23:15) that more calamity might come—but he still recognized that God would act as He wished. God was sovereign whether or not Job understood His actions.
It is that last truth that gives me confidence today. Sometimes we must trust God’s sovereignty while we must also live with His silence.
ACTION STEPS:
- If it feels like you can’t find God today, trust Him anyway.
- Remember that your faith in God in the valley may be a greater witness than if you were on the mountain. Let Him use you in the valley.
PRAYER: “Father, You are almighty. Help me to trust You even when I cannot find You.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Review of Job 1-24