December 19, 2020
Persevering Through Silence
Job 23
There are times in life when we can identify with Job’s frustration at God’s silence—when we long to hear from the Lord but our petitions go unanswered. Then, feeling unsure of what to do, we think, Should I just give up on prayer? Am I to assume that if the Lord doesn’t come to my aid, I should take matters into my own hands? We might even feel tempted to become consumed with anger toward God.
Though these are normal responses, we should reject all three possibilities. Scripture teaches us to persevere in prayer (Luke 18:1) and depend fully on the Lord for our needs instead of looking to ourselves (Phil. 4:19). This means we can safely submit to God and trust Him in our trials (James 1:2-4).
The story of Job also offers encouragement—it reminds us that even if the Lord is silent, He knows the way we take, and after He has tried us, we shall come forth as gold (Job 23:10). In the meantime, we’re to hold fast to God’s path and wisdom. The more we treasure His Word, the more closely we’ll follow Him in obedience (Job 23:11-12).
Like Job, we don’t know all that the Lord is doing in heaven, but He is always working on our behalf. Be encouraged by these truths today, and keep persevering in prayer.
Bible in One Year: Hebrews 7-9
