“Just curse God and die.”
That was the advice to Job from his wife. Not very encouraging or helpful when he was
making an effort in his pain to remain faithful to the Lord. But it did not
last long. Job was visited by three friends who proceeded to tell him why God
had done this to him. God would rebuke them later for their distorted idea of
God’s ways and character. In reality,
Satan was responsible, but God permitted him to cause Job to suffer in terrible
ways.
I have often wondered why God permits suffering to come to
his own children. Those who have been faithful, who love God, and have tried to
live their lives as Jesus did while he walked among humankind. I suspect I am
not alone in pondering this question. And like Job, some people seem to suffer
more than their share in comparison to others. Some sail through life while
others suffer, and sometimes terribly.
God gives clues as to why he permits suffering to his own. In
I Peter 1: 3-7. To give background, in verses 1:3 Peter refers to the hope of resurrection
of God’s people. In verse 4, he says this resurrection is imperishable, and
being kept in heaven for, “you who are being protected by the power
of God through faith for a salvation revealed in the last time.” Verse 6-7, “In
this you rejoice, even if for now for a little while you have had to suffer
various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold
that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and
glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
The underlined words speak of being protected for salvation,
and suffering reveals our faith. That is not the only place in the New Testament
that speaks along those lines. But it always doesn't answer the “Why me God?” question.
When Job and his three friends got through their extended discourses,
of Job arguing that his righteousness should have prevented all his suffering
and that God was being unfair, then a fourth comes along and tells Job straight
forward that he isn’t as righteous as he thinks he is. At this point God
finally speaks and never answers the question directly, he tells Job to get
ready to answer some questions God had for him, and proceeded to say to Job, 40:1-2
“And the Lord said to Job: Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Anyone
who argues with God must respond.”
God then launched into the questions he had for Job, which was,
were you there when I created the huge and powerful beasts of the earth? Are
you or any other man able to contend with them? Their power is beyond that of a
man. Then Job says, 42:5-6, “I heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my
eyes see you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
God still didn’t say why Job suffered, he just told him that
he was the Almighty and no one can thwart him. We get a better glimpse of
suffering now because the New Testament reveals more. But in the midst of our
suffering, despite clear reasons, many still ask why me. In a way we are still
told the same by God to Job. When he
repented of his complaining, accusations of God’s character, and self-
deceptions of his own righteousness, God restored all he had lost and more.
The old saying count your blessings is the best advice there
is for suffering. You need to be gentle and careful as how to say it. Those
exact words can be received badly, but all of us who have suffered should find
things in our lives for which we can call blessings. And remember that our
suffering is to purify our faith in preparation for the salvation which is ours
even now. God is on his throne and has your best at heart. And now we have Jesus who intercedes on our behalf, who defends when the children of God are accused. But there are
simply some things we won’t understand in this temporary life on earth. But the
day will come when all is made known. In
the meantime, always remember God’s goodness to you, for your faith is being
tested, and not in vain.
