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This Week's Scripture & Reflection: Job 23:8-10
A popular cliche we often hear about God both in and outside of church is that He"works in mysterious ways". And although this statement cannot be found word-for-word in the Bible, the implication of it is that God operates in ways and through means that are at times imperceptible to us as human beings.
Job, the notable, blameless, upright, and God-fearing man from the land of Uz, could testify to the accuracy of this sentiment from personal experience! Having been permitted by God to test the faithfulness of Job, Satan afflicts Job with the kidnapping of his livestock, the murders of his numerous servants, and the tragic deaths of his children (cf. Job 1:6-19). Despite losing so much and so many in such a short amount of time, the Bible declares that Job did not sin nor did he blame God for these tragedies (cf. Job 1:22). But although he did not sin or blame God, Job did question and wrestle with God as to why He would allow His faithful servant to experience all of this suffering.
Job speaks of his inability to sense or perceive God in the midst of his current circumstances: He moves forward and backward, but from Job's perspective, God is not there. In turn, when God moves to the right or acts upon his left, Job cannot see Him (cf. Job 23:8-9). Not being able to sense exactly where God was and what He was doing amidst his current state must have been frustrating for Job. Nevertheless, He confidently declares that although he may not know, God knows the way that he takes (cf. Job 23:10). To know that God not only knew the path that Job was on, but that He was also ordering and directing the steps of his path encouraged Job to trust God more despite his inability to make sense of the suffering he was enduring.
While God has gifted us with senses and His children with the ability to spiritually discern through the Holy Spirit, we won't always be able to sense His movements, purposes, and even His presence. Nevertheless, we can be confident in that He knows our past, present, and future. The more we trust His leading, the less we will depend on our limited knowledge and understanding in trying to foolishly lead ourselves. Moreover, when our senses fail to perceive, we will rest in the truth of Scripture, which states that God will never leave nor forsake us (cf. Hebrews 13:5). As long as He knows, ordains, and directs our steps, we can live, move, and have our being without having to know it all!