In James 5:11, the Lord’s brother wrote to Christians who were suffering: “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” Both in antiquity (cf. Ezekiel 14:14, 20) and today, the patriarch Job has been an encouragement and inspiration to the godly in their time of suffering.
We begin reading Job today. Job suffered exponentially – losing his belongings, his children, and eventually his health. The first two chapters give the reader an insight into the workings and plans of God. As far as we know, Job knew nothing about the dialogue between Satan and God.
Remember, according to Jesus, that the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37). Job’s story is the story of one man who is challenged in the face of loss to love God supremely. He had a misconception about the nature of God and His blessings. As we see evidenced in the speeches of the friends, the prominent belief was that if you are faithful, God will bless you. If you are suffering, it is God’s punishment.
That is too shallow a view of life, however. The story of Job reminds us that good things come out of suffering. We may not be able to see it at the time, in the midst of suffering. But we always know God is there and He will work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
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As you read the story of Job and listen to the speeches of his friends and Job’s replies, keep in mind the statement of the wise man in Proverbs 30:8-9: “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8-9).
May God help us to be content in good times and bad. On the problem of human suffering, let me recommend two books I have found particularly helpful. One is a philosophical discussion – Have Atheists Proved There is No God? By Thomas Warren. The other is more down-to-earth – Healing and Help for People who Hurt by Thomas Holland. You’ll benefit from either or both.
–Paul Holland
