Job 23:8-12,  “Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.  But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.  My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside.  I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”

Job of all people understood what it was like to all of a sudden find himself in a situation that felt like more than he could possibly handle.  He didn’t try to hide the fact that he was overwhelmed and distraught, but he kept his faith and faithfulness to God.  He knew that even though he couldn’t seem to find God anywhere he looked, and he wasn’t getting any answers from God, only judgment from his so-called friends, he knew God was there and He knew.  He trusted that God would bring Job out stronger in his faith and he would be a better person for it, he would come out of that fire like refined gold if he kept walking in God’s steps.  

Here are some things you DON’T want to do as you journey through that wilderness:

1. Don’t start your own fire!  In other words, if there are people involved in the situation that you feel you deserve to be vindicated for, leave them for God to tend to.  Don’t jump in and start doing your own thing!  Walk in His steps!  God is faithful!  You can trust Him so cling to Him and trust that He is doing a mighty work in you and you will come out better able to serve Him and you will be stronger for it!
2. Don’t make the wilderness the definition of who you are.  It is not a new career!  God didn’t bring you to this point to leave you there.  Allow Him to work in you and through you as you focus on learning what He is trying to teach you.  Seasons change and just like all the rest this one will pass as well. Seasons don’t come to define us, they come to refine us and we can learn from the good as well as the bad in life, it is up to us how we respond.  
3. Don’t lose hope!  Read Psalms.  That is one thing about David that I have always loved, he would pour his heart out to God and praise God for who He is and His faithfulness.  David trusted God to always come through in His time.  We need to learn to be faithful to God by trusting Him through the good and the bad.  No one can expect to live on this earth and not experience struggles and heartache.  We live in an imperfect world but our hope is found in our Creator!  He is always faithful!  As David told his son Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:20, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God ~ my God ~ will be with you.”  There are multitudes of examples throughout the Bible that show God coming alongside those who were intimidated or felt inadequate for the task at hand and He will do the same for you if you ask and you stay in His steps!

God wants to use this time to strengthen you and to refine you as gold is refined so you can become all He created you to be.  This storm/desert/wilderness/struggle didn’t come to defeat you ~ it came to build you up, give you more confidence, and strengthen you!  You’re gonna make it, just keep walking!