“…my hand is heavy on account of my groaning…yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face.” Job 23:2, 17
The drone flew high above, buzzing like a distant swarm of angry hornets. Below, I stood watching the screen. My friend had just bought the new drone and paired it to his iPhone, and we casually watched the image it sent. And what we saw was amazing. High-definition video streamed from the drone 700 feet above, broadcasting us a personal bird’s eye view of the very landscape upon which we stood. It looked so different. The crags, ponds, and undulations were now clearly juxtaposed and stood starkly against the pale surface. The drone’s view explained so much, it spoke a different language to us. With it we could see more, understand more, and be allowed a grand view that otherwise we would not be afforded. No matter how we tried to understand the ground upon which we stood, we could never see and understand without the image provided from above. And so it is with our journey which we walk in this life. The view that we experience as we walk is vastly different than the overview that God has of our path.
Job chapter 23 is a beautiful chapter for many reasons. The prose and word choice are nothing short of a masterpiece. Job in his physical and emotional agony has lost all filter, his only goal now spiritual…finding God. And in that filterless searching man can indeed reach out to God in soulfully pure ways. It is also beautiful because every step of Job’s searching and yearning for God are bringing him steps closer to the realization of who, what, and where God is. Yes, Job was blameless and upright. Yes, Job feared God and turned away from evil. But folks, just because you’re close to God doesn’t mean your close enough. And it is through the tumultuous, pain-wracked journey of Job that we are afforded the luxury of learning from his walk. We see God teaching Job that there is no stopping point in pursuing Him. It is merely a series of graduated steps, each moving the pursuer closer to the glory of Almighty God. And in the true beauty of Job 23, we see a ray of light piercing Job’s intellect as his faith takes command of his logic. Job, through his pain and suffering; Job, through his agony, torment, and groaning; Job through the utter darkness that envelops his life…still cries out to God.
There are times in this life where situations will manifest that make God seem distant. The evil one is ever so crafty in his ways, he can create obstacles that will seemingly block God from your view. But this is just what satan creates, lies. God is never distant no matter what your perception may speak. God is never as far as a word away. Yet the test is, when He seems distant, will you still call out? When life deals you a hand that is brutal, will you simply fold and sit in silence, or will you persist in calling out to the God of your salvation. I pray that as the darkness closes in and your hope and faith are tried, that you will not only cry out to God, but you will cry out to Him with all of your being. For God is listening, He is waiting to hear the cries of His children...it is His promise. Just because you can’t see Him doesn’t mean He’s not there. With all you are, with all you can muster, with your very soul’s fiber…never give up on God. For your faith, the faith that God’s Holy Spirit alights within you, will carry you through all. For God’s view of your journey is true, His view from above is much different than yours. For He sees not the obstacle, but the finish line…the glory of Heaven which is secured in Jesus Christ.
“For we live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
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