If I go forward, he (God) is not there;
or backward, I cannot perceive him;
on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him;
I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.
But he knows the way that I take;
or backward, I cannot perceive him;
on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him;
I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.
But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold.
My foot has held fast to his steps;
I have kept his way and have not turned aside.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have treasured in his bosom the words of his mouth.
But he stands alone and who can dissuade him?
What he desires, that he does.
For he will complete what he appoints for me;
and many such things are in his mind"
Job 23:8-14
My foot has held fast to his steps;
I have kept his way and have not turned aside.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have treasured in his bosom the words of his mouth.
But he stands alone and who can dissuade him?
What he desires, that he does.
For he will complete what he appoints for me;
and many such things are in his mind"
Job 23:8-14
These words of Job who feels as if God is absent say a lot to me. The words in italics emphasize the way Job feels. Feelings are important -- they are indicators of where we are at the moment. Yet feelings are not the only measuring stick of our experience and Job recognizes this truth. His words that are in bold for me make clear that he is bouncing back and forth from his feelings to his memory of the moments when he had experienced God's presence.
Job will keep bouncing back and forth between his negative feelings and positive memories. As a matter of fact, the very next words of Job will go back to his negative feelings. Such is life. No wonder God has given us the capacity to remember so that as we day by day wrestle with life we will remember the times when God was present in the middle of it.
In your tough moments, what would it help for you to remember?
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