“I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going.” Job 23:8-10a (NLT)

One day last fall, I was feeling overwhelmed. My husband and I were in California, celebrating our anniversary, but it wasn’t pretty. I was physically sick and didn’t even have the energy to wash my hair.

We sat out on a big rock overlooking the Pacific Ocean. At some point, sitting there, I said to him, “I want to jump in that ocean and swim as far as I can and not swim back for a long time.” I never say things like that, so it scared him.

I didn’t want my life to be over. I just wanted to escape the pressures of it for a while.

Sometimes we mistakenly think if we build a good enough life, we will never have thoughts of wanting to run away from it. But it’s not true. Even the best life on earth will still be a life in which we long for relief from its pain and imperfection.

In moments of feeling overwhelmed, the words of Job 23:8-10a feel particularly relatable: “I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going.”

God feels hidden. He feels far away. You can’t see traces of Him. When Job uttered these words, he had lost nearly everything he loved. And yet, after expressing his angst, he relayed a sentiment of confidence in these seven words: “But he knows where I am going” (Job 23:10a).

Job didn’t need to know where God was because he trusted that God knew where he was.

If you feel overwhelmed, you are not alone. If you want to escape the pressures of life, know that sometimes we all have that feeling. But feelings don’t change the truth:

• God is not gone. The silence of God in our waiting and worrying can make us feel desperate. The prevalence of evil in this world can seem out of control. And yet we have proof throughout Scripture that He is forever present.


• God knows, so you don’t have to. Breathe a sigh of relief. It’s not your job to know how to work out that situation … how to right that wrong … how in the world to overcome your limitations. The world is not in your control. You can’t see the future. What if you said the words “God knows” and rested in His reliability? How would that help you rest versus continuously wrestle?

God’s omniscience — His intimate knowledge of things past, present and future, both in the world and your world — means that there is not one thing you have faced, are facing or will face that He does not know about.

Right now, you may be making plans, but He is handling the things you cannot. The comfort and relief you are looking for cannot be found in more self-help; they’re found in the understanding that God sees the injustice no one else sees and will one day make it right. In ways you don’t even realize, He is holding your life together.

God is not gone. He sees you. Your worries, questions of “why” and feelings of overwhelm do not change the reality of who He is and what He knows about your life and future.

Good news: You’ll never get away from that.

Dear Lord, thank You for knowing and seeing all. Thank You that You’re not gone, even when You feel absent. Help us trust the reliability of Your omniscience. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

For more insight, practical tools and lasting relief, preorder a copy of Lisa Whittle’s new book releasing on April 18, God Knows: When Your Worries and Whys Need More Than Temporary Relief.

To go deeper in Bible study on the subject of God’s omniscience, consider Lisa’s six-week video Bible study releasing in October 2023 — Your God Knows: 6 Tough Questions for an Omniscient God (A Study of Nahum and Beyond). Preorder the video Bible study today!

ENGAGE

Want to be in Lisa’s community? Join her FREE LW Friends for the latest podcast episodes, sneak peeks and fun finds from Lisa.

Learn more about Lisa’s short, three-part video series, “God Knows Your Dreams,” HERE, and get access to this and other bonus gifts when you preorder God Knows.

Enter to WIN your very own copy of God Knows by Lisa Whittle. To celebrate this book, Lisa’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, April 10, 2023.}

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 75:3, “When the earth and all its inhabitants shake, I am the one who steadies its pillars …” (CSB)

What is one way you can help minimize the overwhelm in your life, despite the things you cannot control?

How does it make you feel to know that God is omniscient, all-knowing?

© 2023 by Lisa Whittle. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks W Publishing Group for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

Click here to view our policy on third-party links.