Yan did not only outline some of the problems which blind us and cause us not to have a clear view of God. He also looked at Job 23:8-12 to show us how we can overcome obstacles to see God more clearly in our everyday lives.
1. Purity of Life
Job’s circumstances have caused him to feel as though God is absent. ‘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.’ (Job 23:8-9) This is often our experience; we feel God’s absence at times more keenly than we feel His presence. But Job knows there is purpose in the testing God brings to our lives: ‘when he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.’ (Job 23:10) He knows that he will be purified through trials.
2. Pursue God
Job’s desire is to pursue God: ‘My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside.’ (Job 23:11) If we become God-chasers rather than people-followers, we will have a greater revelation of spiritual truth.
3. The Priority of Obedience
‘I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.’ (Job 23:12) The key to clear vision and an ongoing revelation of God is to obey His commands. Jesus defined love through obedience and at the wedding of Cana, the servants were told to do whatever Jesus told them. (John 2) The result was that ordinary water was turned into wine. Often, we fail to see how the ordinary can become extraordinary, but God works in our obedience to bring amazing things to pass!
4. A Passion for God’s Word
A passion for God has to be the motivating factor in our lives. God’s Word is valued more highly than food! This means, surely, that we need to give as high a priority to meditating on God’s Word as we do to feeding our bodies. Matt 4:4 reminds us that we live by every word that comes from God’s mouth.