Job’s Advice for When You Feel God Has Abandoned You

You’re reading Scripture but it just feels like empty words. You can’t see God anywhere you look. Abandoned. Defeated. Alone. Those are the words going through your head.

I think we all have fleeting moments of these feelings. Sometimes, however, we get stuck there. Instead of passing through, we unpack and move in.

During seasons of darkness, we need the light of truth more than ever. Truth doesn’t always feel true, you know. And it especially doesn’t when we’ve set up camp in the land of “nobody understands.” That’s why I believe that we must do two things when we find ourselves there.

We must continue to read, speak and hear truth, even when it doesn’t feel true. And we have to surround ourselves with people who will speak truth to us.

And just to be clear here, what I mean by “truth” is God’s Word.

Can’t See God Anywhere

Remember Job? If anyone in history ever walked through a season of darkness, it was Job. Common sense tells us that we can learn from others who have experienced what we’re going through … especially those who have come through to the other side. It’s not only common sense, but in the New Testament, Paul tells us that God “comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:4, MEV).

Look into this face of suffering and read what hope Job gives us in our own suffering:

But if I go to the east, he is not there;

if I go to the west, I do not find him.

When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;

when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

Yeah, he got it.

Looked everywhere for God—north, south, east and west—and what did he say:

He is not there.

I do not find Him.

I do not see Him.

I catch no glimpse of Him.

Then comes the light of truth…

But … Even though I feel utterly alone and abandoned …

But … He knows the way that I take. I know God sees me. Even though I don’t see Him, I know He sees me.

And … When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

I will come forth as gold. Do you want to cheer when you read that, like I do?

Shout it out right now: “I will come forth as gold!“

He is not there. “I will come forth as gold!”

I do not find Him. “I will come forth as gold!”

I do not see Him. “I will come forth as gold!”

I catch no glimpse of Him. “I will come forth as gold!”

If you are encouraged, like I am, by having truth around you as a reminder, you can find Job’s words below in printable form. When your circumstances make you feel like you can’t see God, remember: