Read Job 23
Job
23 Then Job replied:
2 “Even today my complaint is bitter;
his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.
3 If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!
4 I would state my case before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would find out what he would answer me,
and consider what he would say to me.
6 Would he vigorously oppose me?
No, he would not press charges against me.
7 There the upright can establish their innocence before him,
and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.
8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find him.
9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.
10 But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;
I have kept to his way without turning aside.
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
13 “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?
He does whatever he pleases.
14 He carries out his decree against me,
and many such plans he still has in store.
15 That is why I am terrified before him;
when I think of all this, I fear him.
16 God has made my heart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me.
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,
by the thick darkness that covers my face.
Go Deeper
Job heard the counsel of Eliphaz and is still discouraged. Instead of hearing from other people in his despair, he is really longing to see and feel the presence of God. God’s presence was going to be the biggest encouragement people could not offer. Despite what was going on in Job’s life, including loss and sickness of all kinds, he knew the only thing that could possibly help was being in God’s presence.
Job had it right. But what about us? Let’s think about our own circumstances that may bring despair. It might be a friend not knowing Christ, a child going astray, or a broken relationship within the family. What do we search for? So often we search for an immediate fix that we can provide ourselves. Seeking God’s presence, like Job did, is often a last resort. How often have you said or heard prayer is the “only thing we can do”?
Consider how responding to despair more like Job did would be a wise choice. Job ran to prayer rather than resorting to prayer. He saw prayer as his first option rather than thinking prayer is the only option. Prayer is what we get to do rather than what we have to do when facing difficult times. We get to go to the Lord in His presence and be with Him in His glory.
Setting prayer as the first resort rather than last resort will change our perspective of the circumstances we face. His presence changes how we think and what we do. When we fall to our knees and feel the weight of his glory and power, what seemed insurmountable seems possible. Sitting at the throne of God in prayer reminds us that He is over all things, including our trials.
Furthermore, Job seeks God’s presence after feeling forgotten and forsaken by God. Even when doubting God, he continued to search for what God was doing. It is amazing to see Job searching for God’s presence even when he felt like God was not there. What faith! Let us all remember Job’s story and do the same.
Questions
- Have you ever been in a situation or circumstance in which all you wanted was to be with the Father?
- What are your thoughts on the presence of God? How does it make you feel? Fearful? Reverential? Comforted?
- What is your prayer life like when trouble comes? In what ways could your prayer life improve under those circumstances?
Try This
Sometimes writing down our prayers is helpful to keep our mind focused and not get side tracked. Try writing down a prayer for the day and focus on his presence. Refer back to this prayer throughout the day. Praise the Lord for what He is doing and pray for where you would like the Lord to work in.
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5 responses to “Job 23”
“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps;I have kept to his way without turning aside.I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” (v10-12).
Finally, Job nails it! We know how his story ends, yet when Job made this beautiful declaration he was still in the throes of suffering. What a poignant example of praising God in the storm. Our Heavenly Father was watching over Job, and he does the same for every believer. May he find us faithful.
Yes, praising in the storm!
8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. 9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.”
Yes, in the midst of the anguish, God can seem to be absent no matter what direction one looks. But He is present!
What season are you in? God seeming near or God feeling like He is not listening? Job was feeling like God was far from him. BUT GOD was always and is always near. It is us that turn and do not listen.
God thank You for how You are always, always near! Thank You that I can see You in world around me. God thank You that I have ears to hear, to listen and to obey (shema). God thank You for directing my path and that I know that I know that it is You. God thank You for these minutes of this day that I do what You desire for me to and love those around me in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“What are your thoughts on the presence of God?”
I feel I need to start out by clarifying something significant:
The examples given — “fearful, reverential, comforted” — while relevant and thoughtful — are not “thoughts” at all.
They are FEELINGS. Fear, reverence and comfort are all deeply embodied reactions.
This is a critical distinction for me, having spent years trying to reconcile loving an invisible God — while living as a highly embodied person.
My spiritual struggles have been far more experiential than intellectual. Not: “what do I think about God’s presence?” — but “how do I experience it?”
I have long wrestled with understanding God’s presence because I experience the world physically. I love God deeply — AND I engage with the world He created and worship Him as its Creator — in a deeply physiological way.
And for as long as I can remember, I’ve assumed that these two realities were in competition — that if I needed something tangible, I must be spiritually lacking.
Recently that assumption got turned completely upside-down.
In a moment of extreme pain and confusion, I cried out to God — not for answers I could understand — but for comfort I could FEEL.
And for three straight days in a row, I was met fully — and physically. Three separate people, in three very different corners of my world, responded to my cries by literally laying hands on me in prayer.
Up until now, I always assumed “the presence of God” needs to register in some internal, invisible way in order to be real. And that if I need something else — something more — it’s because I’M not enough.
However, what I’m finally beginning to see is that the presence of God may sometimes arrive mediated — through His people, through physical touch, through embodied prayer.
Because when I longed for Him in my pain, He did not rebuke my need for something physical.
He answered it.
I cried out for something I could feel…
And heaven responded with hugs.