Suffering invades our lives. No one asks for it. No one desires it. Yet, suffering still comes. As a thief in the night, when you least expect it, suffering penetrates and plunders your life. Sometimes a little damage, at others lots of damage, but suffering causes damage to your life as you know it nonetheless. Once suffering breaches your life, you change. Life changes. Suffering affects you. You respond to your circumstance, others, and God differently as a result.
In the Bible, the Book of Job provides us insight into suffering and how to respond. Although I may follow this blog up in the future with others, permit me today to just introduce the topic to you with broad strokes which focuses on the initial day of suffering. The Book of Job and the person of Job both teach us. You do not want to miss the insight they bring as you respond to suffering in your own life.
For Job, the Bible introduces his suffering with the all-too-familiar words, if you have ever been through suffering, “Now there was a day…”
Job’s Day
“Now there was a day…”
Outside of Jesus’ suffering on the cross, in addition to the other suffering that led up to the cross, the Book of Job stands out for its depth and description of suffering. Job and his wife suffer intense circumstances and pain. They experience incredible trauma. He experiences even more than she – in his own way. Consider their day for a moment.
The Beginning of Their Day
Job sits at his seat working. He basically functions as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of his day. Like most other days, he is working. This day is not spectacular – there is nothing happening here that is different than normal. Mrs. Job goes about doing her own thing as well. Their children met together in their oldest son’s house earlier in the day to enjoy a meal together; it takes a big house to hold them all since there are ten of them. There is nothing to write home about when you examine this day as everything is perfectly normal.
But Then Their Day Changes
Four messengers bring news, one right after another, which changes Job and his wife’s lives forever.
The Oxen and Donkeys Stolen
A messenger came and told Job that the Sabeans, a tribe from the Arabian peninsula, raided Job’s property. They came in from the south and carried the 500 oxen and 500 donkeys away. In addition, they killed many of jobs servants with their swords.
The Sheep Burn Up
With the incredible phrase, While he was still speaking, we learn of another messenger with other astonishing news. In an apparent lightening storm, Job’s 7,000 sheep were burned along with everyone except the messenger. Evidently the lightening caught the grass on fire and swept across the field so quickly that all the sheep perished along with their handlers.
The Camels Stolen
The story continues with the same incredible phrase, While he was still speaking. A third messenger arrives with unparalleled bad news. The Chaldeans, either a nomadic group of Aramaeans or Babylonians, formed three bands of raids and stole all 3,000 camels. In addition, they killed everyone with the camels except for this messenger.
The Children Die
In an unimaginable fashion, the story continues again with, While he was still speaking. This time the news is from one of the servants from their oldest son’s house. A great wind swept across the wilderness and struck his son’s house. The house collapsed and all their children died. In addition, all the servants there except the messenger died as well.
The Day Literally from Hell
According to the story, Satan had caused all these disasters to befall Job and his wife. Yet Job and his wife had no idea that they were the recipients of his deeds. Regardless, they had to respond to their circumstances, just as we all do.
Job’s First Response
After these things happened, Job responded. The text reads, “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I cam from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:20-21). The Bible narrator adds, “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.”
The Story Continues
Job’s suffering continues. Two more levels of suffering invade his life.
His Health Crisis
While sitting on the ground in a pile of ashes (a typical way to mourn in that day), Job develops a major health crisis. Through Satan’s work again, Job develops a leprosy known as elephantiasis. Essentially he has ulcers or boils all over his body from the crown of his head all the way to the soul of his feet. The pain hurts so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself to relieve the pain. He sits here in pain, blood, puss, and ashes.
His Wife Discourages Him
At this point, his wife, overcome with the circumstances and pain of her husband, encourages Job to curse God and die. She wants him out of his misery. She cannot stand seeing him as he is. She wants relief. The one person he needed pulling for him and encouraging him instead provides the opposite.
Job Responds Again
Job again responds to his circumstances according to the narrator. He says to his wife, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” Essentially, he claims by a rhetorical question, “If we are willing to accept the good things, why would we also not expect and accept bad things.”
The narrator again provides God’s opinion of Job. “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” Incredible.
How Does Job Respond Like This?
Job’s response mystifies most of us. How is it possible to respond to this kind of suffering with such a sweet and sensitive spirit? How does Job maintain the integrity of his faith in this time?
First, Job’s preparation for this day began years before in his daily practice.
Job 1 describes his daily walk with God. Every day he would worship God. It says, “He was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). He regularly offered burned offerings and walked with God (Job 1:5). His regular practice influenced his initial response. This day – the day of incredible and horrific tragedy – took the form of the other countless days in Job’s life. He walked with God in worship even in the midst of this day. When the suffering hit front and center, he responded from his spiritual muscle memory, he worshiped.
Second, Job does not always have a stellar response.
As the suffering wore on and conversations began with his friends, we find that Job actually struggles. His friends tell him to repent because God only brings this kind of suffering to those who deserve it. In the process of talking with his friends and actually going through the pain and misery of the suffering, he develops a poor attitude toward God. He accuses God of not treating him fairly. He tells God that he deserves better. He lets God know that what has happened to him is wrong.
What can we learn here? Our first response is not always our lasting response. Thankfully, he did respond correctly. But day-after-day of pain and suffering wore down his spirit. He eventually did sin with his lips. He did charge God with wrong. He did struggle spiritually.
If you find yourself here, do not let that surprise you. We are all weak – even the strongest of us. When we get discouraged and struggle, certainly it is natural. God still cares. He still is with you. God listens. He loves you.
Third, Job eventually does land in a continued place of worship.
Over time, after a conversation with God, Job repents of his spirit toward God and accepts his suffering. He never knows why he went through suffering, but does accept it (Job 42:2-6). He repents of a poor spirit. He acknowledges God’s sovereignty, His grace, and His plan. He recognizes that it is impossible to judge God based on our circumstances because we do not see the full picture or understand everything going on around us. He chooses to worship God in the midst of the suffering.
Essentially, he is reminded of God’s character. As we go through suffering, each one of us must look at or focus on God’s character, instead of the immediate circumstances or suffering. It is similar to a GPS on our phones. We may be lost in the middle of the forest and not know which way is north. However, our GPS can help us know which way to go, which way to turn, and which way is north. Although it may not make sense to us in the midst of the forest, we follow the directions because the GPS has the big picture.
The Bible becomes our GPS which helps us understand God’s character even in the midst of suffering. The Book of Psalms and many other passages provide us words, thoughts, and a way forward. We keep our eyes north towards God’s character. We choose to trust Him. We recognize our own weakness in the midst of the trouble. As Job, “My eye sees You” (Job 42:5).
In the midst of your suffering today, look to God. Keep your eyes focused on the love and presence of Jesus. Depend upon God for your strength through His Holy Spirit. In the midst of your weakness, know that He cares and answers you out of His mercy. He loves you, especially in the midst of suffering.
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