When Misery and Suffering Come Our Way

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Avatar for Scotty17
3 years ago
Topics: Spiritual, God, Goal

Do you believe life is unfair? Well, that 's because it is! Troubles come upon both good and bad people. It always happens. Then again, we see evil people being blessed, and good people suffering. But through it all, we must be like Job and endure hardship and times of suffering.

Sickness

We all get sick. But Satan cannot cause any illness. But God allows illnesses for His reasons, which we don't understand yet. However, Satan can cause a person to be demon possessed.

Those who delve in witchcraft, the black arts like seances, horoscopes, Ouija Boards, the paranormal, Tarot cards and more, open themselves up to demonic influence and possible demonic possession. Yes, this still occurs today.

The good news is that believers can't be demon possessed. They can be harassed if they delve into the above-mentioned practices.

The challenge

One day Satan came to God with a challenge. "You know, God, I can get your servant Job to curse you." (Those weren't his exact words, but this was the premise of the challenge). God agreed to the challenge. The only thing Satan was not allowed to do (God was in total control) was kill Job. He could and did do everything else. In fact, Satan was only allowed to work within the boundaries that God had given him.

Satan went to work and killed Job's cattle, donkeys, sheep and camels. Then he killed all of Job's children by using the Chaldeans and other worshippers of idols who were against God. But Satan never is done.

We read "So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head" (Job 2:7, NIV). Job sat scraping his boils with pottery. Things were bad - really, really bad. Can you imagine what your response would be?

Job worshipped God in spite of it all!

Foils

Foils appear in literature, films and comics. Foils are characters who tempt the main character, and though sincere, are nevertheless misleading. They give alternatives to truth or what is happening, but they are always wrong. They are a contrast to the main character. In the story of Job, his four friends are his foils and contrast his beliefs. They mean well but are wrong.

Dialogue - Job and his friends

Job has been severely afflicted by Satan. And though he refuses to curse God he does complain. He says it is better to not live at all than to suffer. Job is miserable. We would be too.

Along comes his best buddy, Eliphaz. He tells Job that God is always good and that he would not be suffering if he did not deserve it. He is wrong. God allows us to suffer even when we do not deserve it.

In fact, four of his friends relay the same message and advise him to confess his sin and get right with God. "Admit it," they all say!

But Job replies to each of them: "Hey, dudes, I didn't do anything wrong!"

Bildad, his other pal, says: "C'mon, man - repent! Turn to God."

Job argues with God

Job ignored his friends for a bit and argues with God, saying, "Why me, LORD?"

Haven't we done the same before - many, many times? "Oh, pity me." we say, "I'll write a post about my sorrows and put it on read.cash."

Then Zophar stops by in chapter 11 and tells Job to give up the lie and repent and return to God. Job must think he's listening to parrots by now.

But Job explains to his best buds that he is actually worse off than evil people. He then states that they are unable to help him. Job says, "Yo, I need me some vindication!"

But again, we all never get what we deserve.

Another dude arrives in chapter 22 and Job thinks, "Oh, brother - another one." He likewise tells Job to repent, just like the others.

Then come Elihu - a neutral pal. After some comforting talk, he too says that God is sooooo good that He would never allow bad things to happen to a good person. He's wrong, of course - they do. Elihu argues from ontology - God is good, Job is bad, bad, bad. Elihu calls Job a sinner.

Job maintains he has done absolutely nothing wrong to offend God. Even his wife tells Job to curse God and die! She's also lost everything but is not sick. She is also miserable.

Then God

God arrives on the scene in chapter 35. He doesn't tell Job about the challenge or how he won it. He doesn't tell Job that he has remained faithful or that He allowed Satan to bring Job all the misery. He didn't tell Job why he became sick and He doesn't tell us, either!

In chapter 42 God speaks to Job and his four compadres. "I'm angry with you four (not Job). "I'm angry because you are all wrong - and Job is right - just like he told you over and over again."

This puts things into their proper perspective: Life is unfair but God is in total control. Even Jesus says, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45, NIV).

Message of the book

Job is not a message about suffering but about wisdom. Good people do suffer. Bad people often do not.

This is what we all need to hear: we must be constantly reminded that all of our difficulties, misery and illnesses are all in God's hands because He alone is in control.

In the end, Job is implicitly saying that we all need something other than this life of suffering, cruelty, misery and dashed dreams. Life is unfair.

At the end of the book of Job, God blessed Job with considerably more than he previously had! Guess what the point is?

The best is yet to come for those who are faithful servants of the Lord!

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Avatar for Scotty17
3 years ago
Topics: Spiritual, God, Goal

Comments

Excellent, just excellent. Thanks for posting this.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Worries and troubles are a part if life and Satan will keep doing his job. What we have to do is to keep doing our. Believe in God, He will choose best for us, if it is not the best then it's not the end. End and Best is yet to come. ☺

$ 0.01
3 years ago

I agree. But many let the things of this world distract them from doing God's work.

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3 years ago

I am much familiar with the story of job and there are lot lesson to learn from him. Truly, if we are upright with God, we have every right to question God why all the recent event are happening cos he is our father and of course we can talk to him as a son or daughter to him. If I was in his shoe too,I will surely as why.

$ 0.01
3 years ago

We already ask why with lesser problems.

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3 years ago

Sometimes, I wonder what level of faith job might have attained with God whenever I read the part "all the days of my life, will I wait till my change come". A man willing to wait his Lifetime for God deserves so much. Thank you for bringing this up

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3 years ago

Job is a great example of patience we can learn from.

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3 years ago

Sometimes I wonder how Job was able to handle all the tribulations, it takes a lot of faith and love of God to do that! I pray God gives me the strength to overcome all my problems just like Job

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3 years ago

That is a worthy desire. Pray for it. Follow his commands and you faith will increase.

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3 years ago

We know in part and we see in part - but in heaven we will know all that God reveals.

$ 0.01
3 years ago

Right out of Corinthians. Good reply.

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3 years ago

Job went through a lot if it was me I would have questioned why. He was the most faithful man on earth at that time and he went through this

$ 0.01
3 years ago

We would all have questioned why and have.

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3 years ago

The Job story is always evergreen When dad wants to pray he always remind God that he doesn't have strong faith like Job 😅

$ 0.01
3 years ago

Interesting.

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3 years ago

Life is really unfair! Life would be boring if all is fair and just! Even God has his own favorite! So let's try living life the way we could, no matter how hard life is, if we choose to live right, God will favor and grant us in his perfect time!

$ 0.01
3 years ago

His favorites are whom Jesus calls His friends - believers. Thanks for reading.

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3 years ago

Yes, life is unfair and the only thing equally given to all is unfair reality. Thus, we must past through difficulties, challenges and the likes.

Overcoming them and coming out stronger like job really matters.

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3 years ago

Oh, it's real all right but yes, unfair...for now.

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3 years ago

God is God. He IS good.. we just have a really different perspective with good. Same with the word "fair". What He allows to happen in our lives does not and should not put shade to His goodness or love. It is humanly maddening. :D but the peace He brings is coursed spiritually.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME indeed... those who love Him

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3 years ago

Yes, for those who believe on Jesus.

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3 years ago

When we love and trust God by his words and deeds, no matter how big the challenge of life we are facing are, God will be always be there for us, sometimes challenges are meant to test our faith in God and make us believed in God

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3 years ago

Thanks for your input and for reading.

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3 years ago