I spent my 10th-11th grade years in Florida playing soccer full-time with a group of 19 other guys from around the country. For two years we lived with each other, fought with each other, and played at the highest level of soccer for our age.
When it came time to say, “Goodbye,” I knew I’d never again spend time with these friends in such a unique – and intense – environment. Even though I’ve not spoken with many of them for some time, I still remember much about each one.
That sensation of saying “farewell” came again this week as our church finished a fourteen-week study of Job. The older I get the more I realize three simple truths: 1) life is short, 2) my ministry is even shorter, and 3) Jesus could come back at any moment. Which means the overwhelming likelihood is that I will never preach through Job again. The overwhelming likelihood is that most members in our church will never hear another sermon series on Job. This is a friend to whom most of us said, “Goodbye,” on Saturday night.. And as we did I wanted to think about a series of things we should remember about this man and His story.
Five summary statements on wise suffering according to Job.
WISE SUFFERING ACCORDING TO JOB
Display God’s glory through your suffering. This is where the story of Job began. Satan said, “Let me take everything from Job and he will curse you. You are only worth worshiping when it brings wealth.” And so God lets the wrath of the Worm falls on Job, but Job never curses God. If you are going through suffering, how might the Snake be tempting you to renege on the glorious worth of God? Might God be using your suffering, like Job’s, to display His glory through your response to the pain? God’s glory is more important than our comfort. Like Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the ”
Trust God’s sovereignty over your suffering. The book of Job is nothing if God isn’t sovereign over everything in the universe. From our peaking behind the veil of heaven in chapters 1-2 to the whirlwind of 38-41, the God of Job is the God who rules and controls all things. Will God’s sovereignty bring chaos or comfort when you suffer? Will you complain at or cling to God’s sovereignty in your suffering? Which leads to point number three . . .
Cherish God’s mystery within your suffering. If ever there was a place in the Bible to answer the question of how exactly God’s sovereignly rules over evil and suffering, this might be it. But while we get an undeniable portrait of a God who reigns over everything, including the terrors of evil, we are not told how exactly this works out. The book is full of exaltation in God’s mystery. God doesn’t give every answer we want to hear, but every answer we need to hear. The degree to which you are able to cherish God’s mysterious purposes for your suffering will be the degree to which you can persevere through what is often confusing pain.
Remember Christ’s advocacy in your suffering. One the resounding themes in the book is Job’s desire for an advocate, a mediator, to plead his case before God. He is looking forward to the Redeemer who lives and advocates for His people before the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ. “There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” Do you feel alone in your pain? Deserted by God? Remember that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. He pleads for God to rain down mercy on His people.
Persevere unto eternity in your suffering. After God revealed Himself in the whirlwind Job’s silence represented his willing submission to suffer until God would take him home. Will you take the short perspective on suffering – get me out of this now! – or the long perspective – it’s only for a brief moment in time before I am with God in glory forever?
This post is adapted from my recent sermon, “The End of Suffering.”