If you are anything like me, you may wonder why God allows so much suffering in our world today. I was thinking about that as I was reading the book of Job in my quiet time with the Lord. Why did God make Job suffer?

Job’s story is one of a spiritual battle. Satan approached God and told him that the only reason Job was a righteous man was because of all the blessings that God had given him. And, if those gifts were taken away, Job would turn away from God.

So God gave Satan control over Job’s life as long as he did not take Job’s life. The story’s narrative then tells us how Satan carried out his destructive plan in the life of Job and how a man who once had it all suddenly found himself left with nothing but pain, despair, hopelessness, and heartbreak.

Job 1:20-22 ESV Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Job did not know about the conversation between the devil and God and could not comprehend the mystery of his horrific suffering. Job’s friends did not understand why Job’s world had been turned upside down. How many times have you been in a trial and not know why it was happening or where God was in the middle?

You see, my dear friends, God allowed Job to suffer to demonstrate that we can still worship God as God for his own sake, regardless of any secondary blessing that we might gain or lose. Against all hope, Job believed in hope because he trusted God.

James 5:11 ESV Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Hope is found in God’s promises – promises of a way to swing through the trial holding on to the rope of hope found in Christ Jesus. We can see so much hope in Scripture through the gift of eternal life made possible through His Son, Jesus Christ. No matter what trials, temptations, or pain we may suffer, we can always hold onto the hope God extends to us.

The next time you are in a time of testing and trial, I urge you not to lose heart. I know the world seems to be spinning off-kilter, but instead of turning your back on Christ and assuming there isn’t enough grace to cover your situation, quiet your soul and submit to the Lord’s leading.

Romans 8:28 ESV And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Trust God enough to know that whatever is going on in the world as a whole, or your world, he will fulfill his purpose for you and work all things together for your good. These times we are living in will require a different kind of faith. Living for God means that we follow him no matter where the path may lead because we know that our Father loves us and, as he did for Job, he will redeem and restore all that has been lost.

Jeremiah 17:7 ESV “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.

John 16:33 ESV I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Maintaining hope in the struggle is such a beautiful thing. Jesus warned us that we would have trouble in this life, but he also encouraged us by reminding us that HE has overcome the world.