When the Wicked Prosper and God Feels Silent: Leading Through the Foot and a Half
listen to job 21-23
Reflection…
One of the hardest tensions in both life and leadership is this: Why do those who do wrong seem to get ahead, while those who live with integrity suffer in silence? In Job 21–23, we walk through this tension with Job as he processes both injustice in the world and silence from God. This is where the foot and a half becomes not just a distance—but a daily walk.
When Appearances Deceive (Job 21)
Job confronts the simple logic of his friends by stating what many leaders quietly think but rarely say:
“Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?” (21:7)
He’s not bitter—he’s honest. The head knows God is just. But the heart feels confused when evil thrives and goodness is met with loss.
Leadership here means telling the truth about tension—not pretending everything makes sense, but having the courage to name what’s hard. Job shows us that faithful leaders ask hard questions, not to rebel, but to seek a deeper reality.
When Truth is Weaponized (Job 22)
Eliphaz fires back in chapter 22 with a full-on attack disguised as theology. He accuses Job of sins he never committed, claiming Job’s suffering must be deserved. This is a picture of leadership gone wrong: when head knowledge becomes judgmental certainty, and love is lost in the process.
This chapter warns us: truth without relationship becomes condemnation. Eliphaz speaks from what he believes is right, but without understanding, empathy, or humility.
When God Feels Hidden (Job 23)
Then comes one of Job’s most powerful moments. He speaks what every honest leader eventually feels:
“If only I knew where to find him… I would state my case before him.” (23:3–4)
“But if I go to the east, he is not there… I cannot perceive him.” (23:8–9)
Even still, Job doesn’t walk away. He holds to what he knows with his head—God is just—and keeps walking forward with his heart:
“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (23:10)
This is deep leadership: persisting when heaven is quiet, and believing God is working even when He’s not visible.
Leadership Lessons from Job 21–23
Name what’s hard: Great leaders don’t ignore injustice—they wrestle with it honestly.
Beware weaponized wisdom: Knowledge must be delivered with humility, or it becomes harm.
Pursue even in silence: When you can’t hear God, keep moving in the direction of His character.
Trust the refining: The gold doesn’t come before the fire. Job believed God was doing something with his suffering—even when he didn’t feel it.
Takeaway: Job 21–23 invites every leader to walk the foot and a half between what is seen and what is true, what is felt and what is believed, what is questioned and what is trusted. Sometimes leadership is simply not giving up — even when God seems quiet and the world feels upside down.
