Full Life Even In Suffering

Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.

Job 42:17

The entire book of Job addresses suffering, yet I have laughed out loud at some of the things Job’s friends said to him. Job’s circumstances were awful and definitely not laughable, but some of the comments from his friends were so blunt I think I laughed in sheer shock. They sound like something a person might say today. For example, one man actually called Job a windbag (Job 15:2)!

Laughing aside, reading this poetic book has caused me to worship God. What a story of His sovereign Lordship and constant presence and care over a man whose heart belonged wholly to God.

Job lost everything. In one day, Job’s camels and oxen were stolen, all his servants were killed, seven thousand sheep and their shepherds were killed by lightning, and all ten of his children were killed in a cyclone. Then Job was struck with a terribly painful disease. To make matters worse, everyone was talking about it, but no one offered lasting support. Being the brunt of gossip and feeling abandoned in the pain must have felt like being kicked while he was down. But through all of it, “Job did not sin by blaming God” (Job 1:22).

As believers, we sometimes struggle with the subject of suffering. We ask why, just as Job did. His whole book addresses the dilemma of suffering, and the “arguments” sound familiar today. Let’s start asking who instead of why. God gets the last word, and it is always good, right, and perfect. In Job’s life, God sets things right and blesses him more at the end of his life than at the beginning.

You and I will never get the subject of suffering figured out this side of heaven, but we can know without a shadow of a doubt who is in control. All of our suffering is tucked beneath God’s outstretched arms as He governs the beginning, the middle, and the end. We can crawl into the arms of the One who truly knows and loves us and wait it out, trusting in His kind, generous, and constant care.

We never have to know why; we just need to know who. Only God can give us a full life, even in suffering.

SP (Sweet Pea): Surprise, Sweet Nancy Brown and Carol Holt! You both know the who. I’m cheering for you.