Job 23:1-3
Where Is God?
Have you ever needed God and been unable to find Him? I dare say
that all of us have. Such times can come for a variety of reasons.
1. Sin can produce that situation.
Deut 28:22 The LORD shall smite thee with a
consumption, and with a fever, and with an
inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and
with the sword, and with blasting, and with
mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou
perish.
23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall
be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall
be iron.
2. Sudden and unexpected loss can produce that situation.
a. I suspect that some in Tom Nabor’s family are feeling that
way. Tom was literally fine one minute and with Jesus
the next.
b. Bewilderment and confusion are typical in those hours.
c. I remember something like that when both of my parents
died. I had no thought that either of them would be
leaving this life and they both, several years apart,
stepped into eternity.
d. Perhaps this is what Job was experiencing.
(1) \\#Job 23:1-3\\ I can’t find God!
(2) \\#Job 23:8-9\\ I can’t see God! Look how
diligently he looked.
(3) \\#Job 29:2-5\\ I remember when I could but I can’t
right now.
e. By the way, there was not a man as righteous as Job
in all the earth.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou
considered my servant Job, that there is none
like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright
man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
3. Weariness and battle can produce that situation. I believe
that is what happened to Elijah when he became so discouraged
that he wanted to die.
1Ki 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey
into the wilderness, and came and sat down under
a juniper tree: and he requested for himself
that he might die; and said, It is enough; now,
O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better
than my fathers.
4. But a person can at peace and in harmony with God and such
a situation occur.
Psalm 77:1 I cried unto God with my voice, even
unto God with my voice…
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord:
my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my
soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I
complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so
troubled that I cannot speak.
7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he
be favourable no more?
8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his
promise fail for evermore?
9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in
anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.
There seem to be a variety of reasons why we might be in this
condition. The question is what do we do when God can’t be found?
I. Don’t jump to conclusions. Understand that not being able to find
God does not mean…
A. That God doesn’t care.
B. That you have sinned.
C. That God has forgotten you.
D. That God has failed you.
E. That you have failed God.
F. That you are being judged.
G. That God is not with you.
H. That God is not helping you.
I. That things will never get better.
II. Take one moment at a time.
A. This is the way life is played out…
1. One day at time, one hour at a time, one minute at a
time, one second at a time.
2. This is the plan of God not just for the bad days but for
the good days, not just for the saved but for everyone.
B. Nothing in this life is guaranteed.
1. Life is not guaranteed. We take it one day at a time.
James 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day
or to morrow we will go into such a city, and
continue there a year, and buy and sell, and
get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on
the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a
vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and
then vanisheth away.
Lu 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this
night thy soul shall be required of thee: then
whose shall those things be, which thou hast
provided?
a. If life has no guarantees, how can anything in this
life be guaranteed?
b. It cannot.
c. We must just deal with it day by day, hour by hour,
second by second.
2. Tomorrow’s provisions are not provided today. It is all
provided day-by-day.
Matt 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can
add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider
the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil
not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the
field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast
into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you,
O ye of little faith?
3. Even our family is not guaranteed to be with us tomorrow.
I realize that is not the point this passage is making
but it still illustrates the truth.
Mt 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the
one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill;
the one shall be taken, and the other left.
C. Concerning living day by day, take some thoughts down.
1. While what we are going through may have caught us off
guard, it did not surprise God. There are no accidents
or surprises with Him.
2. This is ONE of the very reasons the Holy Spirit was given
to you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I
will come to you.
3. If you are trying to live for God, God has been preparing
you for this your whole life. All the sermons, all the
trials, all the things that God has been showing you was
in preparation for this hour. We consider Moses crossing
the Red Sea required a miracle. I like miracles but God
did not have to do a miracle. God could have taught
Israel how to make boats before they got to the Red Sea
and they could have sailed across. That is what God has
been doing in your life. Getting you ready for your most
difficult hour.
4. If you have allowed God to grow you, He would not let you
go through more than you could handle.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but
such as is common to man: but God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that
ye are able; but will with the temptation also
make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear
it.
III. Walk believing.
Mr 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them,
Have faith in God.
Mt 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of
your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye
have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall
say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder
place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall
be impossible unto you.
Mt 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them,
Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and
doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is
done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be
thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
A. Every person walks either believing or doubting.
1. Those who are pretty much the only two choices.
2. Your doubt may have some variation. It may be that you
walk with anger, or bitterness, or with some other sin
being predominant but the core will still be doubt.
B. When you are in this place, you cannot reason well enough to
figure out what you need to believe in so let me give you a
list today. Take the list and tweak it for yourself.
1. Believe that God is good.
Psalm 73:1 Truly, God is good…
2. Believe that God loves me.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with
thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I
will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of
my righteousness.
3. Believe that God is with you.
Matt 28:20 …and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I
will come to you.
Mt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them.
4. Believe that God can be trusted.
Pr 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he
shall direct thy paths.
Ps 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust
also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
5. Believe that God has a plan and what is happening is part
of it.
Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace,
and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
IV. Stay the course.
A. God does not change the prize when we cannot find Him.
1. The prize is still heaven.
2. The prize is still peace.
3. The prize is still joy.
B. God does not change the course when we cannot find Him.
1. What He wanted us to do when we saw Him is what He wants
us to do when we cannot.
2. What God did not want for us when we saw Him He still does
not want for us when we can not.
C. God doe not change the boundaries when we cannot find Him.
1. What was sin when we could see Him is sin when we cannot.
2. What was right when we could see Him is still right when
we cannot.
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