Silence Is Not Absence

Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! Job 23:3

When we go through challenging circumstances, or difficult or painful situations, we can sometimes wonder where God is. Painful times can feel dark and sometimes in the fading light we can lose sight of God, and our whispered prayers get swallowed up in silence. In particularly hard times we wonder, like Job, ‘Where is God is all of this?’

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left and when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. Job 23:8–9

In Job’s deep ache of searching, he discovered that silence doesn’t mean absence. He didn’t understand the ‘whys’ of what was happening, so he clung to threads of truth, of which he was sure – he is working – this was enough for his faith to remain.

For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind. Job 23:14

When we go through times of uncertainty, there is a truth that remains certain – God is always working on our behalf. Even when we can’t ‘perceive’ or sense Him, He is present and accomplishing His purposes; weaving threads of grace through the pain. Dark times may hide Him from our sight, but it cannot hide us from His care.

No matter what is happening around us, or to us, we shouldn’t let our faith rest on what we feel, but on what we know. And we know He loves us deeply and His promises are true: He will never leave us and He will never lose sight of us.

Never let what you don’t know confuse what you do know, for it’s only in knowing God well that we can appreciate all that He has done, and trust all that He will continue to do.