by Pastor Ken
The Book of Job in the Bible, a very philosophical book, focuses on exploring the meaning of suffering. To answer all the questions about suffering isn’t possible in this brief article. So, let’s touch on one point: How did Job shift his response to suffering from the head level to the heart level?
When God allowed Satan to take away everything that Job owned in one day, including the livestock, servants, and children, the pain seemed excruciating. Yet, he responded by saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and I will return naked; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” He believed in God and accepted his fate. His faith was admirable. However, all those losses happened outside of himself. He had not reached the abyss.
If we haven’t reached the end of the rope, we can still comfort ourselves. “God must have His good intentions, and maybe he will reward me with more in the future.” At that stage, our experience of suffering is limited.
Then God allowed Satan to let Job suffer physically. With painful sores all over his body, he couldn’t sit still. This time, he could no longer talk about faith. Furthermore, his wife didn’t empathize with him, and his three friends didn’t support him. They thought Job must have done something wrong, so God punished him. Job kept explaining and reflecting, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find any explanation for his suffering. Being unable to obtain a satisfactory answer to the “Why me?” question is frustrating. We often have this thought. As long as I can find the cause of my suffering, or who caused it, I can bear the pain more easily. Therefore, we make an effort to ponder and analyze, trying to find an acceptable reason.
Then Job’s fourth friend spoke. This friend pointed out that Job’s problem was self-righteousness, to a point that he accused God of being unjust. He told Job that God has absolute wisdom. As human beings, we cannot fully understand His will, let alone judge His actions. Amid the suffering, God is fully aware of what’s going on.
Job began to humble himself, and accept that he might never be able to explain why he suffered. He could only trust God and accept reality.
God appeared. He didn’t answer Job’s queries, but instead asked him questions about nature and human relationships. Job was speechless. By now, Job realized there was no need to find the cause of his suffering. God’s care and presence comforted his soul. Whether God took away his suffering seemed not to matter anymore. With peace in his heart, he said to God, “I heard about you before, but now I see you with my own eyes.” Suffering has transformed Job’s relationship with God from the head level to the heart level. God is no longer a third person. Job has entered a one-to-one relationship with God. In suffering, the most important thing is to realize that God never leaves us. He is there, knowing what’s going on, and walking us through our painful journey.
