January 23 – Reading 23

JANUARY 23 – Reading 23

by John Christian Pra | January 23

“EVEN WHEN I CAN’T SEE HIM”
(Job 22:1 – 24:25)

“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” – Job 23:8-10

Have you ever been truly lost? I’m talking about completely disoriented with not even a slight clue as to where you are. Then as you begin to look for touchpoints to redirect you, you find yourself getting further from your destination, ultimately coming to a place of frustration. Maybe you finally are desperate enough to ask the dreaded question to the local stranger, “Can you point me in the right direction?”

For most of us living in this hyper-connected, digital age, getting lost geographically feels like a foreign experience. But how many of us have found ourselves in a confusing wilderness when it comes to our life with God?

This is where Job found himself. Lost and bewildered. 

Not only had Job lost everything in his life, but now he was lost in his relationship with God. This is the deepest form of being lost. As he looked at the brokenness around him, the questions raced through his mind, “Where is God in all of this? Where is he leading me? Am I doing something wrong to deserve this? How can I make this stop?”

Questions like these aren’t faithless, they’re real. We all find ourselves at some point sitting with Job. In our walk with God, we experience these seasons where we feel disoriented without any idea where to go next. Times where we may even feel abandoned by God. On top of that, Job’s friends were right beside him convincing him that God’s seeming departure was his fault. Maybe you’re condemning yourself or listening to the voice of the enemy that you aren’t good enough to be cared for by God and that’s why you’re here.

Yet even in this bewildered state, Job lifts his eyes to the Lord and recognizes that even when he can’t seem to see God at work, God still sees him. The reality of God’s presence, even when not felt or noticeable to us can still comfort us.

You may feel lost. But God will never take his eyes off you. He is always working, even when you can’t see it.

And after the dust settles, whether you understand why everything happened or not, you will come out being more like Jesus and more in love with Him. “When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.”

Think about it. Pray about it.

• In what areas of your life do you feel lost? How can you invite God through prayer into that difficult space?
• Reflect on God’s faithfulness in times when you felt lost, but only afterwards saw how God was at work in your life.