In summation then, what are some of the lessons we may glean from the account of Job’s suffering that may help us, or encourage us when we are being tried? Indeed, the purpose of this book has been to give us the rest of the story about Job. Many of us have only heard of “the patience of Job”; and because of his supposed endurance, we have even been discouraged by our own weakness in the face of trials. Although none of us are exactly like Job; indeed, all of us are different individuals with different life experiences; and God deals with each of us differently; there are, nevertheless, some basic principles behind the things which we suffer.

2 Cor 1:6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

James 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

1 Pet 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

To begin with, we know that every saint of God will endure the chastening hand of God. None of us may suffer as Job did, or even Paul the Apostle, yet, nevertheless, God will touch our lives in some way. He loves us too much to leave us at the mercy of our enemies; and only His chastening hand can bring about our deliverance.

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Acts 9:16 For I will shew him (Paul) how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

1 Cor 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Psa 118:18 The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

Nowhere does the Bible teach that a believer will have a flower strewn path to heaven; but instead it teaches us that we are a soldier in a war. We must “fight the good fight of faith,” and we must finish our course of duty. The problem with believers is that too often we are fighting the wrong enemies, even God Himself. Trials not only equip us to fight this battle, but align us with God’s plan and purposes in Christ.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

1 Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2 Tim 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Acts 5:38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

Furthermore, we will never get to the place in our lives where we do not need God’s chastening. Unfortunately, we are never too grown up in Christ where we do not need correction—at least while we are in this flesh. There will come a point where we cross over Jordon into the Promised Land and start claiming our inheritance; and then our need for correction may be lessened. However, we are still easily deceived and lead astray by our enemies, therefore God must correct us again and again.

1 Pet 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

God’s purpose in chastening His children is not to punish us for our sins or correct us so that we quit sinning; but it is “that we might be partakers of His holiness.” Job was very clearly not being afflicted for any particular sin, but God had a higher purpose—to bring Job to a new level of relationship with Him. As believers we are being chastened to deliver us from the life of the flesh, so that, by faith, we can live our new life of holiness in Christ. When God’s work has accomplished this, we will, as a result, no longer live a life of sin.

Deut 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.

Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

The main purpose of our trials is to cause us to fail in ourselves, and then find our strength in God. God wanted Job to give up the confidence he had placed in his fleshly strength and integrity; and for Job to see God as his only source of righteousness, salvation, strength, and dependence. Many view trials as an opportunity to showcase their “spiritual fortitude,” refusing to believe that perhaps God is trying to tell them something. They go on in their lives holding on to their integrity, and walking in their vain religious piety; while at the same time, inwardly, they are pining away in misery as their world is being destroyed. However, God never causes us pain without a purpose. He loves us too much, and He is too powerful and too wise to allow anything to happen in our life that is not for our good. If God has given to man the wisdom to grow food and prepare it for consumption, do we think that He does not know how to produce spiritual fruit in our lives? He always uses the right trials to produce the results He desires. When we finally see what He has done, we praise Him for His marvelous work.

Isa 38:12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

Isa 28:23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and rie in their place?
26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
27 For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
28 Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
29 This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

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

James 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

We are never mistaken when we see the hand of God in our trials. Events are so carefully orchestrated that they always bring about the response God is looking for. The beauty of what He does is often lost, because we do not appreciate what He is doing for us. We are more apt to be cynical than thankful, because we are more concerned about our present loss than our eternal gain. However, we realize also that our trials are not experiences in which we can claim to be joy-filled, in spite knowing that God is in charge. God intends that we experience pain by what He brings about; but we should, “reckon that the sufferings” He causes, do have a purpose, even though we may not see what it is. In those times of trials we must simply walk by faith, doing the best we can in spite of our circumstances. We must “commit the keeping of” our souls to God “in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

Psa 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Psa 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Psa 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

1 Pet 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

There may be some who would question, whether at times the forces of the Evil One are at work to discourage us from doing God’s will, rather than God, who might be correcting us. Indeed, it is a legitimate assumption that is presented in the Scripture. In both cases the circumstances are so obviously the work of a higher being that we can immediately rule out bad luck or happenstance. Job immediately recognized that the events of his life were out of the ordinary; and he correctly assigned to God their origin—even though the Devil was the instrument that brought his troubles about. The main difference between when the Devil is at work to thwart us and when God is at work to correct us, is that, as a believer, when God chastens us we have no peace or joy in our life, and the presence of God is noticeably absent. Paul and Silas could sing and give praise to God in prison, even in their suffering; because it was not the chastening of God upon them, but rather the persecution of the Evil One. However, God still used their suffering to bring others to Christ and accomplish some purpose in their lives. Contrariwise, King David sank into the pit of despair after his affair with Bathsheba, because God was not there to support Him—and indeed, God intended for him to despair in order to chasten him. However, even in David’s case, God was not merely punishing him for his sin, but correcting David to bring him back into fellowship with God.

Zech 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

1 Thess 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

Acts 16: 22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Psa 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Suffering at the hand of God is never pleasant, it is not meant to be or it would not be effective. God does not use one of those granny paddles, that are soft and padded, to discipline us. Many believers have the wrong idea about the Christian life; and that leads to greater discouragement and despair when things do not go as they think they should. Although all men suffer in this life, believers are more affected by their trials—“we are of all men most miserable.” This is so because God uses our suffering as part of His designed purposes. This earth is the only hell a believer will ever know; and it is the only heaven an unbeliever will ever know.

Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

1 Cor 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Psa 60:3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

God’s people have always suffered in extraordinary ways. To those saints of God who are given the greatest faith, He has also allowed them to suffer the greatest trials. If we but look at the accounts of those saints in the Bible who suffered for their faith, or read Foxes Book of Martyrs[1], our sufferings pale in comparison. Many Christians even today, however, are still persecuted and put to death for their faith. Believers in many parts of the world risk their lives for the name of Christ. There are those who go through agonizing sicknesses, diseases, and accidents that cause untold pain, mental suffering, and death, because God has purposed it so. We are to look to these saints “for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience,” and come to grips with the fact that none of us are immune to such trials. It has been said that, “The blood of Christians, is the seed of the Church.”  We might also say that, “Suffering is the catalyst by which believers grow in Christ.” Indeed, whether we suffer from persecution or chastening, none of the sufferings of God’s children is without plan or purpose.

Psa 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Heb 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

James 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

Many times, as we suffer chastening, we feel that God is angry with us, and He is chastening us in His “hot displeasure.” God’s people can make Him angry, especially when they are unloving and unmerciful to others. God is loving, but He is also holy; He is merciful, but He is also just; He is forgiving, but He can also be “grieved for the hardness of” our “hearts.” God does chasten his children many times in anger, but He is “angry with the wicked everyday.” When we feel the rod of God’s anger upon us, we need to do some soul-searching into how we may have treated others, or what our feelings and thoughts have been toward others. Many times we can find instant relief when we acknowledge our wrong attitudes.

Psa 6:1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

Psa 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Psa 74:1 O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Psa 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

Matt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Matt 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

Matt 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Psa 77:1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

Psa 85:1 LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.

We also may feel that God is painfully absent when we are in the midst of the most acute suffering and persecution. We feel like He has utterly abandoned us to our enemies, and that He no longer cares about us. The truth is, that He is closer to us, and more watchful over us in these times of trials, than in the so-called “good times.” As His children, we are never separated from God, even in the midst of trials that almost destroy our faith. In times when we cannot even pray or look up, Jesus prays for us, and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us “with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Job 13:24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

Psa 10:1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

Isa 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Psa 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Psa 118:18 The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

We are often confused by what happens to us, and we have no answer to give to our enemies when we are caused to suffer at the hands of God. Indeed, there may be no answers to what happens to us as God’s children in this life. God never gave to Job any reason for why he was made to suffer, or explained His purposes toward Job. Many times, it seems as though the wicked are the ones who are blessed, and God’s children are the ones who are cursed. The only satisfaction we may find for ourselves is that this life is not all there is, and that what happens to us here is not the end of the story.

Job 30:1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

Psa 3:1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

Psa 42:10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

Psa 71:10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

Psa 73:12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

There is no hope of resisting God’s chastening in our lives. God is unchanging and immovable; and our arguments have no hope of persuading Him or of changing His mind about what He is doing. Like the little boy who struggles against his father’s grip while being punished, we often struggle against God’s chastening hand. We sometimes harden our hearts to the point of even trying not to believe in God anymore. We get angry, and blaspheme, and tell Him to leave us alone, but still He is faithful. As the beloved hymn says, “O love that will not let me go[2]”; so God does not abandon us to the cries of our flesh. However, we should not harden ourselves and tempt God by continuing to resist when we are brought to see the truth about our sin; but we should yield ourselves unto God, lest peradventure He does give us what we want and leave us alone. God finally turned the nation of Israel over to their enemies when they continually refused to heed His chastening. Now, we have a closer relationship to God than Israel did, we being His children; however, the Prodigal Son was allowed to go his own way until his substance was wasted and his life had been destroyed. “Let us therefore fear,” and not presume upon God’s mercy and grace toward us.

Job 7:19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

Job 10:20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Isa 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Luke 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Trials always make us to want to bargain with God as a means of ending our suffering. We often get fox-hole religion, and make bargains with God on the basis of what we promise God we will do. However, trials are not meant to stir up our fleshly resolves, but to show us our weakness, and to bring us to faith in the One who is strong and mighty.

Isa 26:16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

Phil 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

2 Cor 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

The only legitimate pleading that we may argue before God, in times of trials and testing, is how our circumstances are affecting the glory of God. Our whimpering and fleshly arguments are of no avail, but we may turn God from His chastening if we are truly concerned about how it is affecting His honor. We may also employ the promises of God in such times, for He is always ready to honor His Word for those who truly claim it aright. God would have destroyed Israel had not Moses interceded for them with such pleadings. Even Jesus prayed “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” The agonies of those hours before His crucifixion were so great that He feared He might not endure them. He knew the Father’s will was for Him to be sacrificed on the tree, not to die from psychological and physiological stress. This type of intercession however, is more effective as we pray concerning the trials of others, rather than our own—our motives in such times are not always clear or unselfish. It may be better to have others pray for us in such times so that God’s honor is truly the motive.

Exo 32:7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

Matt 26:37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Psa 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

Trials cause us to ask questions that are directed to God alone, and that only He can answer. It is often our inclination to try and figure out what God is doing in our lives and to understand why. But understanding the reasons for what God is doing is not always possible. Sometimes what God does, is such a patchwork quilt of divine intricacy, that we cannot know the reasons for certain events, and we must simply trust Him. Our finite minds are incapable of comprehending God’s purposes—except what He reveals to us in His Word, and what He gives for us to understand. Human reasoning rarely can find answers to the trials of life. Our questions, and seeking after a meaning to the things that happen to us, lead many times only to murmuring, discouragement, bitterness, and despair. God, in speaking to Job, gave no answer for his trial, but questioned whether Job could understand and explain the workings of His complex creation. If we cannot understand the mysteries of nature, which are visible, and are in the realm of our existence, how can we understand the mind of God, which is infinitely spiritual in nature?

Job 10:1 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

Job 40:1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
3 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Job 42:1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

The greatest debate over the existence of God, or what kind of God He is, concerns the untold sufferings that we as humans experience everyday. Many there are who question, ‘Where was God when this happened?’ or, ‘How could a loving God permit such things?’ Our only hope to finding relief in these dilemmas is to be still, to stop trying to reason them out, to stop trying to justify ourselves, and to stop condemning God. We must rest in His goodness only, and look upward in the hope that He alone will give us peace, hope, and victory. God is not obligated to give an answer to us for anything He does or allows to be done; He is the Sovereign Creator, and He does as He pleases.  We must simply trust in His love and in His wisdom for everything that comes into our lives. Those that cannot reconcile themselves to this truth will be overcome with bitterness, anger, and finally despair.

Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Psa 44:9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.
15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.
17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

We must remember that when we cling to our integrity, and feel that we are being treated unlovingly and unfairly by God, we are condemning Him. No matter how good a person we may think themselves to be, or what acts of charity we may have performed, these deeds give us no basis of argument or wherewithal to charge God in any manner. No matter how unfair our trials may be, or seem to be—and we may never know for what reasons we have been made to suffer in this life—God is still irreproachable.

Job 40:8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

In the end of our trials, there is always a blessing. God’s purpose in our trials is to show forth His glory, but not at our expense. He also is bringing about good in our lives while He brings about His eternal plans. Maybe He is using our suffering in someone else’s life to bring them to Christ, or to encourage another saint, or to strengthen their faith. We may not always be able to perceive what good has been accomplished in this life, but we can be sure that “the trial of your faith” will “be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”  

Psa 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1 Pet 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

2 Cor 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Though our trials may be long and severe, and we feel like God has forsaken us to our enemies; and though others think our lives have been accursed—consider what God accomplished in the lives of these saints through their suffering:

Joseph suffered at the hands of his brothers, was sold as a slave in Egypt, then was falsely accused by his master’s wife and cast into prison; but God used all of these things to bring him to power and deliver Israel from famine.

Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

The nation of Israel has been tormented by their enemies throughout their existence. They were the chosen people of God, and yet they have been persecuted, maligned, warred against, plundered, taken into captivity, and almost exterminated; but the purposes of God have always turned those sufferings into blessings. Through this nation God sent forth His Son, the greatest blessing He could ever bestow upon mankind. Because of their rejection of Christ as their own Messiah, God allowed them to be driven from their land and become vagabounds in the earth. Although they continue to suffer persecution from their enemies, it was “through their fall (that) salvation is come unto the Gentiles.” Moreover, God used their experiences upon which to base much of the Old Testament; and “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.” Their disobedience, God’s chastening upon them, and their suffering were all for the benefit of God’s children in Christ. Even though God has used this nation as none other, and although they have suffered as none other, one day they will be restored to their former glory. It will be from Jerusalem that Christ will rule and reign over the earth.

Deut 23:5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

Rom 9:4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Isa 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellers as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Job was allowed to suffer at the hands of Satan, the chief enemy of God. His life became a curse to himself; he was condemned by his friends for getting what he deserved; and yet God turned it all into a blessing. In the end of Job’s trial, God gave to him twice as much of this world’s blessings as he had before. But Job would never realize the benefits, and the encouragement that his trial would mean to believers down through the ages. God not only uses suffering to benefit our own spiritual life, but He also uses our experiences to comfort others who may be undergoing similar trials. Fellow believers are consoled by knowing their experience is shared by other saints, and by seeing the faith and patience of others in those times.

Job 3:1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 And Job spake, and said,
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.

Job 4:7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.
10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

James 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

Jesus, the Word made flesh, was the only perfect man who ever walked this earth. However, as a man, He undeservedly suffered at the hands of men, and endured God’s wrath against our sin. He was called a devil, and in His crucifixion endured the curses of those about Him. His enemies accused Him of getting what He deserved at the hand of God. Indeed, God the Father placed upon Jesus the sins of His people and brought their judgment upon Him. However, through His suffering He brought salvation to His people. But there will come a day when all men, even lost sinners, will bow before Him and confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord.” There will come a day when He will be revealed as the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” “to whom be honour and power everlasting.”

Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

John 8:52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

Psa 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying,
8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

Matt 27:38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Tim 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

God also uses our trials as a witness to the lost of the grace of God. God wants us to trust Him in adversity, even when we feel distressed and forsaken. It is easy to feel happy and contented with God when all is well; but the true test of our faith comes when all is not well. Job, as a man, held on to his composure far longer than most of us would in his circumstances. People are not impressed by our faith when we are enjoying life to the fullest; but our greatest witness will be when our lives are turned upside down like Job’s was. All people go through trials in their lives, whether or not they are believers. Those without Christ have nothing on which to lean upon in these times, and are crushed by the weight of their sufferings. As Christians, we can be a light to the world that we have something that sustains us, something that is real, Someone who stands with us; and thereby show that our faith has genuine substance.

Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

2 Cor 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

Acts 16:22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

1 Pet 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Matt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Trials produce patience, or a confident resting upon the grace and promises of God—not our own strength, fortitude, or goodness. Job, before his trial, was not at peace in his life—despite his wealth, prestige, and personal integrity. Rich men are not at peace or at ease because of their wealth, because they are never contented with it, and live in fear of losing it. If one believes that what they have has been acquired or earned by their own efforts, then they must, by their own efforts, continually seek to preserve those things. The happiest people are those who have learned to trust God day by day for their needs.

Rom 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Jam 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

Psa 37:16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

Psa 52:7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

Ecc 5:12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Luke 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.