WHEN SUFFERING DOESN'T STOP

Behind the Scenes

Satan was still seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

As always, the Lord had been proven correct.

See Isaiah 46:8-11...

Psalm 139:4 “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”

Luke 22:31–32 ““Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.””

Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Satan may have wanted to destroy Job for no reason, but the Lord had good reasons for allowing this to happen.

Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

See Isaiah 48:1-11...

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

In this passage, we are reminded of the Lord’s absolute sovereignty over all things.

Psalm 135:6 “Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.”

Psalm 115:3 “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

See Daniel 4:34–35...

We are also reminded that the Lord works His sovereign will through the sinful actions of others. Nothing can stop Him from accomplishing His plans and purposes.

Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

See Isaiah 10:5-19...

See Isaiah 45:1-13...

Ezra 6:22 “And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”

See Acts 2:22–23...

See Acts 8:1-4...

See Philippians 1:12-18...

The Challenge

What was Satan’s accusation against Job this time?

Matthew 10:37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

Luke 14:26 ““If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

We are called to remember that the Lord is more important than anything this world offers, including our lives.

Matthew 6:25 ““Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

See Philippians 3:7-11...

How do you think you would act if you faced similar trials and temptations?

The Aftermath

What was Job’s reaction to this additional suffering?

Psalm 73:25–26 “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

What was the reaction of Job’s wife? Why do you think she was spared?

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Genesis 3:12 “The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.””

1 Kings 11:4 “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.”

Proverbs 12:4 “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.”

What was the reaction of Job’s friends?

Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

How long do you think this suffering lasted?

Job 7:3 “so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me.”

Job’s Despair

What did Job say when he gave in to despair? Is Job the only believer who felt this way in Scripture?

Numbers 11:14–15 “I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.””

1 Kings 19:4 “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.””

Jonah 4:3 “Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.””

See Jeremiah 20:14-18...

2 Corinthians 1:8 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.”

What are some things we should remember when despair strikes us?

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

See Isaiah 40:28-31...