Where is God when I need Him?

 Read Job 23. 

The weight of his sufferings and the frustration of the accusations were more than he felt he could bear.  After being so falsely and harshly criticized, Job wanted to strongly respond; not to Eliphaz, but to God.  There was no court room for a public hearing.  And, truly, no need.  God was already present! 

Here we get to see that Job's faith in God supersedes his physical experience.

1. Job understood the character of God.

"But he knows." (v.10a)

Job was saying, "I may not see him, but He sees me."   In Psalm 139, David wrote: "Where shall I go from your Spirit?"  There is no place.  God is omnipresent.  We do not communicate with God in a building, but "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).  In fact, Jesus stated that God is "seeking such people to worship him." 

2. Job understood that suffering is not an end but a process.

"When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold." (v.10b)

The Apostle Paul was bold in stating, "More than that we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that the suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope..." (Romans 5:3-4) 

3. Job understood God's sovereignty.

"What he desires, that he does.  For he will complete what he appoints for me." (vv.13-14)

God's goal for every human being is not our happiness, but our holiness.  We are His creation.  We belong to Him.  He has a unique design and purpose for each person. 

How could Job be so confident about these things?

Check out his testimony in verses 11-12.

Two insights into living with such inner confidence while experiencing outward suffering:

1. He disciplined his behavior moment by moment before God.

Each step in his life: "held fast to his steps."  He did not get off course.

2. He made what God had to say the guiding priority of his life.

He treasured God's word more than food.