Tests Of Faith - When God Seems Absent

In summary of Job 23:8-10 it says, “8 I have searched in the East, but God is not there; I have not found him when I searched in the West.  9 God has been at work in the North and the South, but still I have not seen him. 10 Yet God knows every step I take; if he tests me, he will find me pure.”

Bottom Line:

I have searched for God, I know he is working but still I do not seem to be connecting with him.  Yet I know that God knows everything I do, if he tests me he will find me pure.

What this means to me:

There will be times when God’s presence may not be apparent. In his word, God has never promised that I’ll always feel his presence. In fact, God admits that sometimes he hides his face from me. This is a normal part of the testing and maturing of my relationship with God. It can be painful and disconcerting, but it is a vital to the development of my faith. Knowing this gave Job hope when he could not feel God's presence in his life. He said, "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 turn to the south, but I cannot find him. But he knows where I am going. And when he has tested me like gold in a fire, he will pronounce me innocent." (Job 23:8-10 NLT) When God seems distant, I can tend to feel that perhaps he is angry with me or possibly disciplining me for some sin. In fact, sin will disconnect me from intimate fellowship with God. Often a feeling of abandonment or estrangement from God has nothing to do with sin. It is simply a test of faith - one I must face: Will you continue to love, trust, obey, and worship God, even when I have no sense of his presence or visible evidence of his work in your life? Just like Job, I need to remember that God’s absence is only to test my faith in him when I can’t see immediate results.