Weekly Word Archives

Suffering Series

The Beginning
Part 3

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We are looking at some lessons on suffering (afflictions, truths, hardships) from different examples in the Bible. From our first two lessons on Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel, we learned that:

Suffering is a result of:

1.	Living out the consequences of our own choices. Some of those choices are a result of believing the lies of Satan about God’s character and about ourselves.

2.	Living in a fallen world where we each choose to sin.

3.	Living in a fallen world where our bodies decay and die.

4.	Living in a fallen world where the environment is no longer perfect (weeds, insects, tornadoes, hurricanes).

5.	Living or dying because of the sinful choices of others, seeing our loved ones in pain or death because of the actions of another person.

In this study we are going to look at the story of Job. It is probably the most analyzed book in the Bible on the subject of suffering. About 15 years ago, we lost a child before birth. It was a very painful time for me. I had been doing everything I knew how to do to be a good Christian. I was reading my Bible, praying, going to church, teaching three classes at church, was on a church committee and in charge of a women’s seminar. I was doing all these things and this tragedy entered my life. At that point in my life, I had received no tools or teaching in my Christian walk on how to deal with this kind of adversity. The predominant message I had heard was that if you think wonderful thoughts, make positive confessions, praise the Lord then your life will be wonderful. None of that worked anymore. I began searching the Scriptures for answers. I landed on the book of Job. It took me years to find answers in that book because I was asking the same question Job was asking. The question we were both asking was “Why is this suffering happening to me?”

How many times do people ask that question as they are going through a difficult time? And as they ask God that question, they are ultimately asking Him “Why are you doing this to me?” or maybe “Why haven’t you protected me from this tragedy?” There are two incorrect beliefs that are behind these questions. One belief is — God has caused this bad thing to happen to me. The other is — I don’t deserve what has happened or, said in another way, I have done enough good things to earn God’s protection from this event.

If there is ever a person who could say that he didn’t “deserve” what he got, it would be Job. This is how God describes Job “there is not one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God, shuns evil.” (Job 1:8). Job was considered the greatest man in that part of the world (Job 1:3).

In the first chapter of Job, Satan approaches God. We know from this story that Satan has access to the presence of the Lord. He suggests that Job fears God because God has blessed him. He goes on to suggest to God “But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” (Job 1:11). God does not raise His hand against Job, but gives Satan permission to do so.

The next 37 chapters of Job include Job’s friends’ counsel to him and his response. We see his friends prod him about what he has done that has deserved this kind of suffering, there must be some hidden sin. At the same time, Job knows there is nothing hidden so he questions God. “I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me.” (Job 10:2). “But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.” (Job 13:3). Job is asking the “Why me?” question over and over. If you search the book of Job and all the Bible, you will not find an answer to that question. When God does come to Job, His purpose is not to answer Job’s question. “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38:2-4).

God didn’t answer the why question. Instead, His purpose was to change Job’s perspective. God began to show Job how big He is, how much more He knows then Job knows. After God came to Job and spoke to him directly. Job quit asking “why?”. He was humbled. His replies to God included “I am unworthy — how can I reply to you?” (Job 40:4), “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5). Job had a personal encounter with Almighty God.He no longer found it appropriate to question God.

Job suffered at the hand of Satan with God’s permission, but not because of sin in his life. He learned who God really is, “my eyes have seen you.” God restored Job and his possessions. What can we learn from Job? God doesn’t answer “why?” Charles Stanley shares in How to Handle Adversity, “You have only two options. You can trust God to glorify Himself through your adversity, or you can focus on your loss and spend time searching for answers. In doing so, you may cause the means by which God was going to do something great, to become a tragic end in itself.”

God’s grace, my surrender.