Job 23:1-3 – Where Is God? – Bible study

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 Nabors 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 cant find God! (2) \#Job 23:8-9\ I cant see God! Look how diligently he looked. (3) \#Job 29:2-5\ I remember when I could but I cant 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 days 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 cant be found? I. Dont jump to conclusions. Understand that not being able to find God does not mean A. That God doesnt 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. Tomorrows 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.