Why righteous suffer

He gives Job a robust and exalted theology. And this is wisdom for the believer in his suffering—not the answer to why I have to suffer in a particular way, but who is God? And now, going back to chapter one, we see a second reason for our suffering: the sovereignty of God.

Why did Job suffer? Because God sovereignly willed it. We see this, especially, in the conversation of Satan with God, in which God takes the initiative, asking Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? And what this tells us is that God is intimately involved in the details of our suffering.

It may be that someone you know devises evil against you, it may be that you fall sick with a disease, but both the people who hurt you and the sickness that racks your body with pain are limited by the sovereign control of God. God does not suffer us to be tempted or tried above that we are able. Another reason for our suffering is the testing of our faith. Satan certainly wants to test us. His accusation is that Job feared God only because of the good things that God had given him.

Hast not thou made a hedge about him? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands. But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

That the faith God has given us by the work of His Holy Spirit is not strong enough to endure the trials of life. But in the trials of His people God proves otherwise.

He puts us through trials to increase our faith, to make it stronger through troubles. Whenever a believer goes through a trial he will always find that God by His grace supplies the necessary strength. Satan will try to shake us and tempt us to forsake God, but God will not leave us, and through the trial will draw us closer to Himself.

And that points us to another reason for our suffering—the goodness of God. In His sovereignty, God is always good and merciful to His people. Jesus teaches us that not a hair can fall from our head without the will of our heavenly Father. The trials we experience come from our father. Sometimes they are sent to chasten us, other times they are sent to strengthen us, but always they are sent from the loving hand of God. We must never suppose that God intends evil against us, and whenever we do, that is a sinful reaction to the trials God sends.

Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? And then he says, No, those questions arose from my infirmity, from my sinful human nature. These are things we must believe, by faith, and they will come only when we have a proper view of the sovereignty of God. So, what are the reasons that the righteous suffer?

Well, we do not always know the exact reasons, but we do know that God is Sovereign, that God is good and loving, and that He will use them for our spiritual profit and growth in grace. And knowing and believing these things, we will learn to respond as Job did at the end of this chapter, in verse The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In these words Job acknowledges the sovereignty, the justice, and the goodness of God. His response is a response of worship, in which he falls down before God, fixes his eyes on eternity, and acknowledges that everything he once had was a gift to him, not something he deserved.

He came into this world naked and empty, and he will leave it the same way, and in between the Lord gives and takes, according to His sovereign goodness. And because of this, Job worships! Classis East This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. Classis West This email address is being protected from spambots. Design by Social Village.

Saturday, 13 November They are apart from God. Their sorrow is the result of their sins. But why do Christians suffer? Scripture teaches that many Christians suffer so that they may fellowship with others who are in affliction. Only those who have known sorrow and suffering can have fellowship with those in affliction. The Word of God also teaches that Christians suffer in order that they might glorify God in their lives.

The Bible further teaches that Christians suffer in order that God might teach them lessons in prayer. In such a case, the evil person is only given wealth so that he might pass it on to a righteous son.

This was the case with Menashe, an evil king. Wealth might be given to an evil person as repayment for the good deeds of his righteous father. For example, in II Kings chapter 10, as a reward for driving Baal-worship out of Israel, Yehu was granted four generations on the throne, regardless of the worthiness of his successors.

This is a test.