How Do You Respond to Suffering?

 

Job is a tragic story of a godly and wealthy man loses it all and wrestles with the meaning of life and suffering. Job cries out to God for an answer amid the accusations of four men. In response to Job's outcry, God speaks into Job's situation. God's answer leads Job to submit to God as the King and sovereign of the universe.  In the end God restores Job's life.

Suffering and God's People

Why do people do what is right? Is it because they love the Lord? Is it because God has blessed their life with ease? 

What will God allow his people to endure? Does he protect them from a certain amount of harm in this life? How much harm will God allow his people to endure?

How should God's people respond to tragedy when it strikes them? Should they ask God 'why'? Should they refrain from questioning God? Should they simply accept tragedy and move on? 

These questions and many more flood the mind as one reads the pages of the book of Job.

The Faithful Suffer 

Satan brought accusations against a righteous and successful Job. Satan expected Job to turn against God if God allowed Satan to bring calamity to Job's life.

The underlying assumption Satan worked with was this: righteous people follow the Lord because their life is easy. Surprisingly, God allowed Satan to harm Job's family, possessions, and eventually Job himself. Job was left with nothing but emotional and physical torment. He lost his possessions, his children, and his health.

Although Job responded with a humble heart at first, eventually he cried out to God asking why he was even born and seeking death instead of suffering.

Outside voices

To make matters worse Job's friend Eliphaz began accusing Job of sin. Eliphaz assumed that only wicked people suffer harm and that repentance would bring restoration and peace. Was Eliphaz correct in his assumption? We know from the beginning of the story that Eliphaz was not correct in his assumptions about Job. Job did not experience suffering because of sin. On the contrary, Job experience suffering because of his righteousness.

Suffering and You

Have you ever suffered without reason? Have you seen a close friend suffer and wonder why God would allow such an injustice? Most of us have seen this many times and do not understand why this happens. You can learn a lot from Job's experiences. As you read the pages of Job you will see a man taken to his wits end and respond with honesty and frustration toward a God who he struggles to understand. 

You will also learn how God sees your outcries against him. You will learn how you fit into the grand scheme of eternity and how you should approach God in the midst of pain and suffering.

One clue you should keep in mind while working through Job is this: don't give up. God is not finished with you even in the lowest time of your life. There is more to come.  

May you hold firm during times of pain and suffering. May you not turn away from God, but run to him. And may you not listen to every voice of accusation that comes your way. Endure and turn to God. Answers will come, in one way or another.

Text:

Job 1:5 5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. 

Job 1:20-22 20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 
22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Job 3:11 11  “Why did I not die at birth, 
come out from the womb and expire? 

Job 3:20-22 20  “Why is light given to him who is in misery, 
and life to the bitter in soul, 
 21  who long for death, but it comes not, 
and dig for it more than for hidden treasures, 
 22  who rejoice exceedingly 
and are glad when they find the grave? 

Job 4:6-7 (Eliphaz) 6  Is not your fear of God your confidence, 
and the integrity of your ways your hope? 
 7  “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? 
Or where were the upright cut off? 

Job 5:17-18 (Elphaz) 17  “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. 
 18  For he wounds, but he binds up; 
he shatters, but his hands heal.