“My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud. If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me. Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing. Honest people can reason with him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge. I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.”
– Job 23:2-10
Do you experience those times when everything feels like a struggle, and you’re just craving a sense of God’s presence? Me too. And we’re in good company – Job totally felt that way. Life gets heavy sometimes… full of tough questions and challenges that seem never ending. If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself wondering, “Where’s God in all of this?”
So Job goes on this journey of wanting to find God, to lay out his case and pour out his thoughts. It’s a path we’ve all probably walked in our hearts a time or two. But here’s the thing: sometimes God feels kinda distant, like He’s on mute. Job’s frustration totally hits home with us.
But even in that silence, Job hangs onto this deep truth: God knows our journey inside-out. Even when we’re clueless about His moves or feeling lost, He’s right there with us through the struggles. It’s like the pain we go through is this refining process, shaping and purifying us. Job compares it to gold getting polished in the fire. James basically said the same thing in his letter to the dispersed Christian Jews back in the early first century:
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1: 2-4
So in those moments when you’re craving God and it feels like He’s on silent mode, remember that He’s at work. Even if we can’t spot Him in any direction, He knows our path. Trust that as we go through life’s refining fires, we’ll come out the other side shining with a strength and a faith that can only come from being tested and standing firm in Christ.
Questions Worth Considering
1 Think: about a challenging situation you’re currently facing (or have faced in the past). In what ways can you approach it with the perspective that God is using it to refine and strengthen you, much like gold in the fire? How might this perspective impact your ability to endure difficulties and emerge with a resilient faith?
2 Reflect: on a time when you sought God’s guidance or intervention, but the outcome was different from what you expected. How did you handle the disappointment, and what did you learn about God’s ways through that experience? How can you embrace trust and surrender even when circumstances don’t align with your expectations?
3 Recall: a season in your life where, looking back, you can now see God’s hand at work despite feeling His absence at the time. How has this hindsight shaped your understanding of God’s faithfulness? How can this awareness influence your trust in God’s current and future plans for you, especially during the moments when His presence may seem far away?
Former Blackout Artist 