Job 23

He knows where I am going

_{“But He knows where I am going, and when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.” ~ Job 23:10}

There was a season in my life when I felt completely overlooked, by people, by opportunities, and honestly, even by God. I was doing everything I knew to do: praying, serving, giving, and staying faithful. But everything around me seemed quiet. Doors I had hoped would open stayed shut. Questions went unanswered. I started wondering if I had somehow missed God’s direction or if He had forgotten about me.

That’s why Job 23 has always stood out to me. Job is in the middle of unimaginable suffering. His friends have turned on him. His world has crumbled. And God, who once spoke so clearly, now seems silent. Yet even in all of that, Job makes this powerful declaration: “But He knows where I am going.” What a truth to hold on to! Even when God is silent, He is still present. Even when we don’t understand, He knows exactly where we are and what we’re walking through.

Here are some ways to apply this passage personally:

1. Remind Yourself of What God Knows:
   Job couldn’t see God in that moment, but he trusted that God could see him. When you’re unsure of the path ahead, say out loud: “God knows where I am going.” Speak it when doubt comes. Speak it when your prayers feel unanswered. That truth steadies your steps.
2. Stay Faithful Through the Silence:
   Job didn’t stop seeking God, even when God wasn’t responding the way he hoped. Don’t stop praying, serving, or doing what you know to do. Your faithfulness in the unknown proves the strength of your trust.
3. Trust That Testing Has Purpose:
   Job said, “When He has tested me, I will come out as pure as gold.” The fire may be uncomfortable, but it’s purifying. If you’re in a trial, know that it’s not to destroy you, it’s to bring out the gold in you.

Here are some steps you can take to get started today:

• Start by praying this simple prayer:
  “Lord, even when I don’t see the way, help me to trust that You do. I believe You’re still working, even in the silence.”
• Write down one area in your life where God feels silent and begin speaking Job 23:10 over it each day this week.
• Keep a gratitude list. Thank God for at least one thing daily, even when it’s hard. Gratitude keeps your heart soft and focused.

Today I want to encourage you that when God feels silent, it’s not because He’s absent. He’s watching, shaping, purifying in those times. He knows your path, even when it winds through pain or confusion. If you keep walking, keep trusting, and keep showing up, you will come through as pure as gold.

Today’s scripture reading: Job 23

1 Then Job spoke again:

2 “My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud.

3 If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court.

4 I would lay out my case and present my arguments.

5 Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me.

6 Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing.

7 Honest people can reason with him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge.

8 I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him.

9 I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.

10 “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.

11 For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.

12 I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.

13 But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind? Whatever he wants to do, he does.

14 So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.

15 No wonder I am so terrified in his presence. When I think of it, terror grips me.

16 God has made me sick at heart; the Almighty has terrified me.

17 Darkness is all around me; thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.

Journal Prompt:

• Where in your life do you feel like God is silent right now?
• What would it look like to keep walking in trust, even without answers?
• Write a prayer asking God to help you trust that He knows the way you take.