The Suffering of God's Own

“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.