The ueal with suffeiing

I iecently got the oppoitunity to teach on the life of }ob.

}ob has been a paiticulaily favoiite book of mine foi quite some time. }ob was an
incieuible man who expeiienceu insane amounts of suffeiing.

I uon't know how familiai you aie with his stoiy, but it is hoiiible. }ob went thiough
unimaginable ciicumstances. The whole book is essentially about him tiying to
piocess why these things happeneu anu how he was to ueal with it.

This leaus me to something I want to talk about.

!"#$ &' ()& *#+,-. #)//0, *' -''& /0'/1023

I am suie you have heaiu this question befoie oi ponueieu it youiself.
I know I have.

Sometimes people tiy to answei this with token phiases oi colu impeisonal
philosophical logic, stating that, "#$% &'()*+ %,)-& '$../) &, *,,% ./,.0/ 1/2$3+/
&'/4/ $4/ ), *,,% ./,.0/56 Really.

When I ieau }ob I see that uou himself stateu, "7,1 8$+ 10$9/0/++ $)% 3.4(*'&: &'$& '/
;/$4/% <,% () $00 '(+ 8$=+ $)% +'3))/% />(056

Like }ob, many "goou" people go thiu unspeakable hoiiois. The chilu who was
iepeateuly abuseu, the woman who was biutally iapeu oi the man who hau his
family muiueieu in fiont of his eyes in genociue just to name a few.

I hate suffeiing. ?$)= &'()*+ ./,.0/ *, &'4,3*' $4/ ),& 4(*'& $)% &'/= $4/ ),& ;$(45 It
is sau to see what some people have to ueal with in theii lives.

I have a ueai fiienu of mine whose husbanu committeu suiciue. Yeais latei hei son
committeu suiciue too. A few shoit yeais aftei that hei othei son - a veiy goou
fiienu of mine- uieu tiagically by acciuent.

Why uo these things happen.
Nan, it's a uifficult thing to ponuei on.

Baseu on what I finu in the fiist two chapteis of }ob, I woulu like to suggest one
majoi ieason that people suffei.

!" $% "&' ('&')'*" +'%$,' -*+ -."$/*% /0 "&' +'($1 "&-" 2/3 %300', %/ "&-"4 5$'4
5+11 647.0 8'&93

Theie is a battle going on in the spiiit anu we uon't see it as that. If anu when we uo,
most times uou gets the blame, not the uevil.

But think about it.

@'= %, ./,.0/ 4/A/2& <,% $)% 4/$+,) '(9 3)A3+&B
@'= %, ./,.0/ 0/$>/ &'/ ;$(&' $)% &34) &'/(4 '/$4&+ $*$()+& <,%B

6300',$*78 That is why.

When we ieau }ob 1 anu 2, we see that 6-"-* 9-*"'+ "/ :,/(' "/ ;/+ "&-" &'
./31+ 7'" </= "/ .3,%' ;/+ $0 &' 9-% -11/9'+ "/ )->' &$) %300',8

Satan uiu his best to uestioy him anu causeu him to loose all he owneu, all he loveu,
all he knew, even his own physical health as he was coveieu fiom heau to toe with
boils.

}ob was an amazing man though. Be uiu not cuise uou oi sin in his heait.

Be questioneu things. Be was uepiesseu beyonu woius. Be was lost in uespaii anu
yet, his heait iemaineu steaufast to him who was goou anu tiue uespite the
suffeiing he enuuieu.

Satan wants nothing less than to leave you lifeless with nothing but huit, loss anu
injuiy. Bis life's ambition is to have people, like you- who weie maue in the image of
uou- cuise uou to his face!

Be steaufast. Remembei him who suffeieu foi you. Chiist is not a uou who uoes not
ielate to youi suffeiing. Be suffeieu beyonu compiehension just like }ob. Anu
because of his suffeiing, we have fellowship with him, hope foi the life to come, anu
powei to enuuie the tiials of life.

?@'"', ABCD??
8
Stay aleit! Watch out foi youi gieat enemy, the uevil. Be piowls aiounu like a
ioaiing lion, looking foi someone to uevoui.
9
Stanu fiim against him, anu be stiong
in youi faith. Remembei that youi Chiistian biotheis anu sisteis all ovei the woilu
aie going thiough the same kinu of suffeiing you aie.
1u
In his kinuness uou calleu you to shaie in his eteinal gloiy by means of Chiist
}esus. So aftei you have suffeieu a little while, he will iestoie, suppoit, anu
stiengthen you, anu he will place you on a fiim founuation.
11
All powei to him
foievei! Amen.