Human Suffering
You may have read the story of a blameless and upright married man that existed numerous centuries ago. This righteous man was, as some would say, a blessed person. A believer in the Almighty and a pursuer of truth, he was also pleasing to God and just in God’s eyes. Nevertheless – and contrary to the notion that only good events happen to good people – he began to experience tremendous misery and hardship. His name was Job.
His life is detailed in the biblical book bearing his name and addresses the mysterious human reality of suffering. In addition to raising the query of why people suffer unjustly in this world, the book of Job attempts to expound the fact that all people experience suffering – indeed, neither the innocent nor the just are exempt from it. Certainly, to be human is to be susceptible to periods of adversity in this life.
Our Faith and Trust In God Will Never Be In Vain
However, we attain a comforting instruction when we attentively read Job’s story. Even though he suffered from terrible anguish, the Omnipotent God of all creation never abandoned him. Moreover, the book impugns the notion that suffering serves no purpose. As we reflect on Job’s struggle and relationship with the Lord, we begin to understand that even though God does not desire to see us in agony, He mysteriously permits these experiences for our own well-being. This is certainly difficult to accept and comprehend when we are presently going through physical or emotional pain and distress.
However, the final vindication that Job received when God defended Job’s innocence gives us hope. This teaches us that placing our faith and trust in God, no matter what is occurring, will never be in vain. Certainly, the book of Job demonstrates what Psalm 22:25 states, that we “are not spurned or disdained by God in [our] suffering.”