Why Does a Good God Allow Suffering? (Part 1)

Introduction

Do you have a theology that gets you through the hardest day of your life?

It’s easy for all of us to trust in God whenever life is going good! When our health is good. Whenever our plans work out. Whenever our family is thriving. Whenever we are well respected and appreciated! But, what about when things are tight?

Whenever Lindsey and I first got married, our rent in Bolivar was $530/month and there were some months when our paychecks were later in the month, and our checking account was nearly empty after we paid our rent. Trusting in God was challenging during those tight times. It has been said before that everyone in this room is either suffering today, just coming out of a season of suffering, or preparing to enter such a season. This week was a hard week for multiple people in this room - and, friends, it’s providential that you’re here and that we’re studying this today. We can’t ask the question, “Will I suffer?” because that answer is obvious: YES! The better question is, “How will I respond when I suffer?” Will I believe the lie of the serpent and think that God has either forgotten me, or that He isn’t good, or that He doesn’t have control, or that He doesn’t deserve my trust… or will I anchor my feelings to the facts of God’s Word?

This morning, as we look at this age old question of why does a good God allow suffering? We’re turning to the book of Job. We see a righteous man who fears God, leads well, and enjoys God’s blessings. But in a few minutes, his entire life changes. He suffers loss after loss after loss. And we have to ask ourselves the question Job does: Do I worship God just because of what God gives me, or do I worship God because He is worthy?

See, one of my jobs as your pastor is to teach and preach God’s Word in such a way that you are prepared to worship God well in the middle of your suffering. I want your faith so deeply anchored in the character of God so that you don’t drift when hard times strike. That you know deep down that whenever suffering strikes, sadness stays, anxiety refuses to leave, or when you hear news that breaks your heart, you know that God is still good. He is still worthy. And He still deserves your trust.

These next 2 weeks we won’t learn how to escape suffering - Scripture never promises that! Instead, our goal is to learn how to endure suffering by faithfully keeping our eyes on our God who is Worthy of our Worship! Before we read our text, let’s pray that God would bless our time together as we study and seek to become more like Christ. Let’s pray!

Let’s start out by looking at Job 1:1-12

Job 1:1–12 CSB

1 There was a man in the country of Uz named Job. He was a man of complete integrity, who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 His estate included seven thousand sheep and goats, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east. 4 His sons used to take turns having banquets at their homes. They would send an invitation to their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 Whenever a round of banqueting was over, Job would send for his children and purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned, having cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice. 6 One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” “From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.” 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.” 9 Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, do not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

This is an incredible passage that can be challenging for us to understand, just as it would have been challenging for Job to understand back then. First we see that

God is Still Wise When We Don’t Understand (1-12)

This is not an ordinary story!

Often whenever we read about or listen to stories where people are suffering, it’s due to a difficult diagnosis or a loved one passes away unexpectedly or a job is lost or a marriage falls a part.

This morning, our text begins somewhere else entirely. Not on Job, but on God. We find the context to everything that will follow in this book. We see that Job is a man who is blessed by God. He is a righteous man and God says that no one else on earth is like him! What a statement coming from the Lord!

He is an honorable man. A God-fearing man. He is a man of integrity. “Blameless” - not sinless, but a man who genuinely loved the Lord.

If there were anyone on planet earth that we would expect to be blessed, it would be Job!

He walked by faith. He honored the Lord. He was a spiritual leader who offered sacrifices for his family.

We’re learning all of these incredible things about Job in this opening prologue and the reason is simple: God wants us to see that suffering strikes everyone. The rebels and the righteous. The powerless and the powerful. Job’s friends later on will try and convince him that the reason he’s suffering is because of his sin, but this opening section reminds the reader that his suffering is not due to a secret sin. Even though he did the right things, he still suffered.

Doesn’t this go against the grain of our world? Our world often believes that if you do good things, you’ll get good things. There is this idea of cosmic karma that is so popular. And there is even a Christian version of this: If I pray, come to church, tithe, serve, read my Bible, and have enough faith in God, then God will shield me from these problems that other people face and I’ll get a “Get out of Suffering Free Pass” like in the game Monopoly! Job shows us that this thinking isn’t correct. One of the most godly men in the Bible suffered the most.

Look at what happens before Job suffers. We see a conversation between God and, among others, Satan. Look at what goes down. God asks Satan, where have you been? This means that this has taken place after the fall as Satan says that he has been roaming the earth. This makes us think of 1 Peter 5 which says this

1 Peter 5:8 CSB

8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

Looking for anyone he can devour… Satan opposes God’s power and God’s people.

Many have read this and struggled with this meeting between Satan and God. God is holy and separate from sin. Satan has sinned and was cast out of heaven. There are views as to how this conversation took place and where it took place, but the important thing for us is to not miss the forrest for the trees. Have you heard that one before? Don’t focus so much on one thing that you miss the big picture. If you’re like me, you want all the information and all the answers, but our text doesn’t always give us those.

What our text does show us is this: Satan isn’t sovereign. He isn’t God’s rival. Satan is powerful but he isn’t independent. He must answer to the One true and living God who sits on His throne. There is one who is sovereign. There is one who rules unopposed. There is one who has all power and that is God.

Now, with that in mind, we might expect this conversation to go differently. Job is said to be a faithful man. God is wise and good and powerful. That’s the end, right? Look at what God does… He volunteers Job to Satan. That might sound a little unsettling - but it’s the text. Satan believes that Job only worships God because of his blessings. God has been good to Job, so of course he is a nice guy who obeys God. Satan argues that if God were to remove that blessing, that Job would curse Him instead. Satan believes that worship is transactional. God gives me something good, therefore I show up… but as soon as God stops, or if God gives me something I don’t like, then I stop showing up. Satan doesn’t just believe this about Job… he believes this about every believer.

Have you been there? You do the right thing, but it feels like you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death?

You’re doing everything that you believe you’re supposed to do. You’re being faithful. You’re growing spiritually. You’re prioritizing Scripture. You’re standing on God’s Word. You’re sharing the Gospel. You’re telling others about Jesus.

Even when we don’t understand - God is wise. God is good. God loves His people. Notice, Satan can’t just do whatever he wants to Job. God sets the limits. This leads to what is going to follow, and the question that Satan believed in the first place, and this is a question we have to ask ourselves today: Do I worship God for the things He gives me, or do I worship God because of Who He is? Things come and go. Situations change. Feelings fade. But behind the scenes, there is a God who is seated on His throne. Who has not surrendered His authority. Who has not abandoned His servant. Who has not lost control. He is sovereign and we can trust in Him, even when we can’t understand our situation.

Let’s read what happens next to God’s faithful servant

Job 1:13–22 CSB

13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and reported, “While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing nearby, 15 the Sabeans swooped down and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 16 He was still speaking when another messenger came and reported, “God’s fire fell from heaven. It burned the sheep and the servants and devoured them, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 17 That messenger was still speaking when yet another came and reported, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, made a raid on the camels, and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 18 He was still speaking when another messenger came and reported, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house. 19 Suddenly a powerful wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people so that they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, 21 saying: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.

God is Still Worthy When He Takes Away His Gifts (13-22)

Think of the worst day that you can imagine. We don’t like thinking of that day, but if we can’t grieve together at church, then where on earth can we grieve? Maybe you can think of multiple dates. I know I can! November 9, 2025 is the most recent day for me. Maybe you have a more recent one in your life or in the life of your family. We all know what it’s like to suffer and grieve loss.

And whenever we go through hard times, our faith can feel awfully weak. Our joy can feel non-existent. We can feel like a sail boat, trapped in the doldrums of life, motionless and life-less.

I’m reminded of Horatio Spafford - the hymn writer of It Is Well. He accumulated a lot of wealth in Chicago, but he lost much of it in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. His 4 year old son passed away due to Scarlet Fever and he sent his wife and children ahead of him to England. He received word that the ship his wife and kids were on crashed, and all of his children on board had perished in the crash. Spafford, like Job, lost his family, his possessions, and easily could have lost his joy if it weren’t for his faith in God.

Job is doing great one day. He has his family. His servants are working hard for him. His children are preparing for a feast. Life is great! Just like today, you usually don’t know it’s going to be a bad day whenever you wake up. But one moment can change everything. We see 4 messengers appear in the text - and each one brings news of a tragedy.

It’s like a snowball tumbling down the mountain, it starts with just a small ball of snow, but it builds and builds, and before you know it, it’s a deadly ball of destruction.

The first messenger arrives saying that his oxen and donkeys were stolen and his servants were killed. As soon as he is done, another messenger arrives and says that fire has fallen from heaven and consumed both his sheep and his servants. As soon as he is done, a third messenger arrives and says that the Chaldeans have stolen his camels and killed more servants.

11,000 sheep, camels, oxen, and donkey’s. Boom, all gone in an instant. Everything Job spent a lifetime building disappeared in a few moments…

But that’s not where things stop. Job’s day will go from tragedy to nightmare. The fourth messenger arrived and told Job that all of his sons and daughters were killed because the house they were in, preparing for the feast, collapsed. We read this in Scripture and it takes a minute or two… but this was Job’s entire life. Destroyed in a matter of minutes. He lost virtually everything he owned and then he had to bury 10 kids.

So often we want to be encouraged whenever we come to church - we know the world can be very discouraging, and we look forward to coming to church and being encouraged. The Bible says much to encourage us… however, there are times in Scripture that we read of awful, stressful, heartbreaking events that challenge us. This is one of those.

It’s important to remember that the Bible doesn’t erase the pain of living in a fallen world… the Bible reminds us that we’re not walking through this fallen world alone. Look at what Job does. This is Job’s worst day. The bottom has dropped out. Everything has been taken from him. He tears his robe, shaves his head. He is grieving. He is struggling. Friends, whenever you suffer, it’s ok to say that you’re struggling!

As I’ve heard it said before multiple times, it’s ok to not be ok, but it’s not ok to stay there. It’s ok to grieve when life knocks you down. But it’s not ok to stay down.

Job grieves. But then he fell to the ground and worshipped. Get this: Job weeps and then he worships. It’s ok to weep when the rug is knocked out from underneath you. But make sure you end with worship! Job doesn’t blame the servants. He doesn’t blame the weather. He doesn’t even blame the Chaldeans. Job says the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Job knows that God is the owner of all things and that He has the right to take all things and this leads Job to worship the Lord in his moment of loss. Job remembers that it is the Lord who gave… he recognized a fundamental truth of Scripture that we’re all tempted to forget. James 1:17

James 1:17 CSB

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Realize this. You came into this world with nothing. Everything you have is from the Lord. Every dollar. Every opportunity. Every possession. Every friendship. This church. Your family. All these things are good gifts from our good God

and Job acknowledges that the Lord gave him all the things that he had. It isn’t the result of Job’s business acumen, or hard work, or luck. Job says it’s because of the Lord.

The Lord gave… and the second part is one of the hardest parts in Scripture - the Lord has taken away. Yes, the weather destroyed the house. The Chaldeans raided his livestock. Satan was involved, after all. But Job doesn’t credit them. He says the Lord took away.

Hear this as clearly as a farm boy hears his mom ring the dinner bell - God is not the author of evil.

James 1:13 CSB

13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone.

God is perfect. Holy. And sinless. Therefore, He can’t tempt people to sin. He isn’t the author of evil. But at the same time, He isn’t unaware of evil. Satan had permission from God to afflict Job.

This is where our theology is tested, isn’t it? This is where you and me are tempted to drift towards fatalism or atheism if we’re not careful.

We love God’s sovereignty whenever life is good. When family members are being saved. When our job is thriving. When our prayers are answered. But there are other times when our life is falling apart. When we pray for healing and a few days later, we’re sitting at a funeral. When we pray for reconciliation and instead we get rejected. What will sustain you during those times of tragedy? Job didn’t have the answers. didn’t know why all of these things were happening. But he knew that his God was good and that his God was in control. He says, “Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

See, Satan believed that as soon as God removed the blessing from Job’s life, that Job would reject God… but here is Job. The gifts are gone, but the Giver was not. Job understood something so powerful as his circumstances had changed, but God’s character had not.

Friends, suffering has a way to reveal our heart better than just about anything else. As one pastor put it, “I’ve learned in ministry that you don’t really know someone until you see how they respond whenever they don’t get their way.” That’s when you see a true person’s character. When the blessings are removed. When the answer is the opposite of what you’ve hoped for.

In all of this, we’re told, Job never once sinned against God or blame God. Job didn’t have all the answers for why he lost everything. He suffered. He grieved. He was hurting. But he refused to blame God because he believed that God was still worthy.

Job 2:1–10 CSB

1 One day the sons of God came again to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before the Lord. 2 The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” “From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.” 3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited me against him, to destroy him for no good reason.” 4 “Skin for skin!” Satan answered the Lord. “A man will give up everything he owns in exchange for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 6 “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “he is in your power; only spare his life.” 7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself while he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.

God is Still Working When Suffering Stays (2:1-10)

Job endured everything in chapter 1, and I’m sure he’s thinking that he had hit rock bottom. That there was nothing more that could go wrong. That the suffering was finally finished. That the light was about to break through the night. Have you been there? You’ve had a season of suffering, and a little bit of time goes on and you think that you’re about to turn the corner? That’s a refreshing feeling… but sometimes, you think that you’re almost done with the suffering, only to realize that rock bottom isn’t actually rock bottom. That there is another level lower to go.

In chapter 2, we flash back almost to the exact same wording as chapter 1. We see this conversation. In chapter 1, Satan said that Job only worshiped God because of the gifts God had given him and that if the gifts were taken away, he’d stop worshiping God. God removed those blessings, and we saw that Job wept but kept on worshiping.

We’re not told how much time passes by between chapters 1 and 2.

But we see that Job continued to worship God and, because of that, we see Satan’s true motive… it isn’t just to hurt Job, it is to destroy Job! Satan had taken much of his possessions and his family,

but all of those things were on the outside. He had experienced external suffering and external suffering is painful. Some of you have lost a loved one in recent days - you know that pain. Some of you have had things you own taken away from you - you know that pain. Some of you have had lies said about you, even publicly - you know that pain. But there is a difference when that pain is external versus when that pain is internal.

Now Satan attacks Job himself!

Job went from riches to rags. From blessing to bankruptcy. From celebration to sickness. And we’d like to think that this would be the end of it… but God isn’t done working. Notice that wording, friends.

Job 2 is a troubling and confusing chapter. I’d be lying if I said that I had this entirely figured out, I don’t!

But this chapter must teach us something crucial: God cares more about His eternal glory than our temporary comfort.

I’ll say that again, God cares more His glory than our comfort.

I’ve talked with people who have wrestled with that sentence. They deeply care about their comforts. They deeply believe that God cares about that most of all. They believe the idea of God caring about His glory more than their comforts means that God is mean or a jerk… but,

Friends, it is good for us that God cares more about His glory than our comforts, because He stretches us and grows us and purifies us and molds us into His image and this usually happens the most when we are uncomfortable - so God allows and permits Satan to strike Job a second time, but again notice the limits God gives. Satan is not allowed to take Job’s life. He can inflict pain and suffering on his body, but he cannot take his life.

1 Peter 4:19 CSB

19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.

There are many in our world who say that it is never God’s will for His people to suffer. But Scripture says that these people who were suffering here were suffering according to God’s will.

I’m not going to lie, that’s hard! Here we see Job suffering and God allowing it. I’m not going to lie, that’s hard…

That’s difficult, but it’s Biblical! This is what helps me whenever suffering strikes and whenever suffering stays… God is at work. God reorients my heart in my suffering. He helps me see His greatness and my weakness. He reminds me of sin’s bitterness and heaven’s sweetness. He gives me opportunities in my suffering that I’ve never had in my strength. Have you been there?

In high school and college, I had a stretch of about 5 years where it seemed like the hits kept on coming. Freshman year, diagnosed with T1D and my world got flipped upside down. Sophomore year, I destroy my knee and end my track career. I can’t eat what I want and now I can’t compete like I want - my identity was shattered… get to college and freshman year my mom has her accident and my grandpa dies, and the next year my grandma dies. And I remember walking the campus at SBU thinking, “WHY, God?” Why does it seem like every time a major hurdle comes up, and I finally get back on my feet, there’s another obstacle that knocks me down. Why, why, why? I wish I could tell you that God answered all those why questions. But, I didn’t always get immediate answers. In fact, there are still questions I have that I haven’t received answers for… but I’ll tell you what’s better than answers to my questions, learning more about the God I call my Father. In times of loss, I discovered that I have a Father who is with me. A Father who wants me to find my identity in Him, not in what I do. A Father who wants me to see how weak I am apart from His strength. A Father who prepares His people for His purposes. We aren’t promised answers, but here’s what we are promised: God doesn’t waste our suffering.

Job didn’t know why all these things were happening to him. He only saw things from his perspective. We have the ability to read this story and we see both perspectives, from above and below, but Job only had his perspective. In a few months, fall will be here and one of the things that our area has in the fall is corn mazes. They can be confusing and it’s easy to get turned around because all you see are walls of corn and dead end after dead end… but imagine if you had a drone above you! Imagine having that perspective as you walked through the maze. You don’t just see what’s in front of you, but you see what’s around you, and eventually, you see the exit. Friends, we have a God who see’s the whole picture! Job couldn’t see God’s perspective, but he trusted God’s character. He didn’t know what would happen next, but he knew he could trust his God… even in his suffering. Even when he has to use a piece of broken pottery to scrape the boils off his body to give himself a little relief. Even when he’s hurting and struggling. Yet, look at verse 9. Job’s wife chooses the opposite. Her life was flipped upside down that afternoon too. as she suffered deeply like Job. She had reached the end of her rope and told her husband to curse God and die. That sounds strong and that might even shock us… but those words are deeply human because when our suffering stays, it’s easy to think that God has stopped caring and that He has abandoned us… but notice what Job says back in verse 10 - should we only accept good from God and not adversity?

Job isn’t saying that his suffering is good. He isn’t denying the reality of pain and loss… but he realizes the truth that we find stated in Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 CSB

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Job understands that God uses all things - good things, and bad things, for our ultimate good. Job didn’t understand all that God was doing, but he trusted in God.

Do we only trust God when life is good? Do we believe He is sovereign only when His plan feels good? Job’s circumstances had completely changed, but His God had not changed at all!

Suffering is like squeezing a tube of toothpaste. The pressure doesn’t change what’s inside, it simply reveals what’s inside. Suffering reveals what we believe about God. Do we only trust in God when life is good? Do we believe He is sovereign only when His plan feels good? Or do we believe that He is worthy regardless of our circumstances? Job’s circumstances had completely changed, but his God had not changed at all.

Conclusion

So, do you have a theology that will carry you through the hardest day of your life? Job did, but not because he understood everything God was doing. He did not. Job never heard the conversations recorded in chapters one and two. God never sat him down and explained why the Sabeans attacked, why the wind destroyed the house, why his children died, or why his body became covered with painful sores. Job never received the explanation we might expect. But by the end of the book, Job received something better than an explanation: he encountered God. Church, God’s presence proved better than God’s explanation. That is what carried Job through his suffering, and that is what will carry us through ours.

When your world is shaken, the sovereignty of God is not some cold concept. It is bedrock beneath your feet. It is your firm foundation. It means God has not lost control of your story. He has not fallen asleep at the wheel. The angels answer to God. Satan is limited by God. Nations rise and fall beneath God. Disease does not overpower God, and death cannot overturn God’s plan. Satan is powerful, he is a lion… but Luther rightly stated that he’s a leashed lion, he is not sovereign. There is only one who is sovereign, even during seasons of suffering, and that is the Lord.

3 Truths For Us to Cling to When Suffering Strikes:

Because God is sovereign, you can rest in the reality that God is in control. That does not mean everything that happens is good. It does not mean God commits evil or delights in wickedness. It means evil never escapes His rule. Nothing enters the life of a child of God that He cannot redeem, overrule, and use for His glory and our ultimate good. When you cannot see what God is doing, you can still trust that He has not stopped working.

Because God is sovereign, you can also rest in the reality that God is with you. Hebrews (couple years away) tells us that we have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses. Jesus knows suffering. You might think, “What does Jesus know about social media slander?” Jesus knows all about in-person betrayal. You might think, “What does Jesus know about chronic pain?” Jesus knows all about pain. He knows hunger, exhaustion, rejection, betrayal, injustice, grief, physical agony, and death. So when you suffer in the hospital room, at the graveside, in your office, in your bedroom, or in the quiet hours of the night when anxiety will not let your mind rest, you do not suffer alone. You have a Savior who hears your cries, a Savior who bears scars, and a Savior who is with you.

And because of the gospel, you can rest in the reality that God is for you. Romans 8 is one of the most encouraging chapters in the Bible - and towards the end, we find this in verse 31

Romans 8:31 CSB

31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Paul does not say that because Christians never suffer. Romans 8 is filled with groaning, weakness, pain, and longing. Paul says God is for us because God has already demonstrated His love for us at the cross. When you cannot interpret God’s love through your circumstances, interpret your circumstances through the cross!

The cross was the greatest injustice in history. The sinless Son of God was rejected, beaten, mocked, crucified, and killed. But the cross was not an accident, and God did not lose control at Calvary. What sinful men intended for evil, God used to accomplish our salvation. Jesus willingly laid down His life, bore the judgment our sin deserved, and was buried in a borrowed tomb. For three days, it appeared that darkness had won. Then Sunday came. Jesus walked out of the grave. Sin’s penalty was paid, death was defeated, and Satan was conquered. Because Christ is victorious, everyone who belongs to Christ shares in His victory.

That means your suffering does not get the final word. Your pain has an expiration date. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not this year, and maybe not even in this life. But Revelation 21:4 is a glorious promise

Revelation 21:4 CSB

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

One day, the tears will dry. One day, the funerals will stop. One day, cancer will cease. One day, broken minds and broken bodies will be made whole. There will be no more insulin, no more anxiety, no more hospital rooms, no more empty chairs, no more tombstones, and no more goodbyes.

Some of you feel like you are living in Job 1 today. Everything happened all at once. The phone rang, the diagnosis came, someone died, someone left, and the bottom dropped out. Others feel like you are living in Job 2. The initial shock has passed, but the suffering has stayed. You have prayed, trusted, and worshiped, but the pain has not gone away. You may never receive the why on this side of eternity. And when you reach eternity, you may discover that being in the presence of Christ makes the why far less important than it seems today.

So let me give you something better than the why. Today, you know who is in control. You know who is with you. You know who is for you. You know who died to save you, who rose victorious, who is coming back for you, and who will one day wipe every tear from your eyes.

Church, may we be a people who suffer well - not because suffering is easy, and not because we always understand why, but because we know our God. God is still wise when we do not understand. God is still worthy when He takes away His gifts. God is still working when suffering stays. And when rock bottom comes, Jesus Christ is still enough, and He is still worthy of our worship.

Today, whatever you’re going through, He is Worthy. He is Good. He sees you. He loves you. He has a plan that is for His glory and your good! And if you’re struggling - this altar is open and your Savior is here to carry your burdens. If you don’t yet know this Savior, friend, don’t try to get through your suffering alone! Come to Christ today. Let’s pray

Job had a theology that allowed him to trust in God during the good days and the bad days. As we read this book, we read that Job never got an explanation for why he suffered these things. He never was told by God why Job 1-2 took place… but by the end of the book Job receives something better than an explanation from God, he encounters God. Church, God’s presence is better than God’s explanation. And that is what carries Job through his pain. That might sound too theoretical, but the sovereignty of God is the bedrock you need when your world is shaken. When suffering strikes, you need to be assured that God hasn’t lost control of the steering wheel. He hasn’t fallen asleep. He isn’t trying to fix something on the fly. He isn’t caught off guard. This passage shows us that the angels answer to God. Satan is limited by God. Nations rise and fall beneath God. Disease doesn’t overpower God. Death cannot detract God’s plan.

Satan is powerful… but he is not sovereign.

Pain is real… but pain is not sovereign.

Cancer is catastrophic… but cancer is not sovereign.

Death is destructive… but death is not sovereign.

There is only one who is sovereign, and that is the Lord.

3 Truths to Hold onto During Suffering:

In your suffering, you can rest in the reality that God is in control. Again, God is not the author of evil. God does not sin. Yet, Scripture repeatedly tells us that God is the King of Creation. He is on His throne. He is in control. This doesn’t mean that everything that happens to us is good - and it certainly doesn’t mean that it is His will that evil happens in our lives. But here’s what it does mean. Because God is in control, the God of the Bible can and does redeem evil, unspeakable, bad things and redeem them to bring about things that glorify Himself and are for our ultimate good. You can rest knowing that God is in control and as long as you’re breathing, He is writing your story for His glory!

Second, you can rest in the reality that God is with you. Hebrews 4 is one of the most encouraging chapters in the Bible. In verse 15 the preacher says this

Hebrews 4:15 (CSB) 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

If we don’t have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with us… that means that we DO have a high priest who can sympathize with us because He was tempted just like us. We worship Jesus Christ - who knows what it’s like to suffer. He suffered hunger, rejection, betrayal, injustice, grief, and even death. Whenever you suffer in the hospital room, at the graveside, in your office, in your bedroom, or at the office, you don’t suffer alone. You have a Savior who bears your scars and who hears your cries.

Third, you can rest in the reality that God is FOR you. The fact that God is in control and able to bring good things out of bad things is encouraging. The fact that God is with us on the good days and the bad days is encouraging. But this is a game changer. Romans 8:31

Romans 8:31 (CSB) 31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Romans 8 is my favorite chapter in the Bible. And if you’ve read it, it talks a lot about suffering. Paul says that, yes, believers suffer… but suffering doesn’t mean that we’re alone in this. Jesus suffered. In fact, He died a criminals death in our place on the cross - the greatest injustice in history happened to the sinless Son of God. And because of what Jesus did for us, no one can stand against us. The enemy can try to condemn us, but no one can bring a charge against God’s people! Today, Jesus is acting as your advocate in the throne room of heaven and whenever the Savior of Sinners speaks on your behalf, the case is closed. He is with you and He is for you.

And because He is for you, His victory is your victory. Satan is conquered. Darkness defeated. The end is written because sin’s penalty is paid in full for all who are in Christ Jesus. Today, your enemy is defeated. This is the good news of the Gospel in Job. Satan does all that he can do… but he can’t win. See, Satan told God that after God removed Job’s blessings, Job would curse God. But Job trusted God, and Satan is silent the rest of the book. You know why? Because Satan doesn’t win. Whatever suffering you’re facing today, it has an expiration date. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not even this year or a decade from now. In fact, you might suffer with this problem the rest of your life - but, you have all eternity to celebrate being suffering-free in the presence of your Savior

Revelation 21:4 (CSB) 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

One day, the tears will dry up. The funerals will stop. Cancer will cease. Broken bodies will be made whole. No more insulin, anxiety, hospital rooms, empty chairs, tombstones, or goodbyes. This has been a hard week full of suffering for some of you - you might even feel like Job 1. Everything happened all at once and the bottom dropped out! Others, maybe you feel like you’re in Job 2 - the shock has passed by you’re still suffering. You prayed. You worshiped. You trusted. But you’re still suffering and you may not even know why. Let me give you something better than Why… WHO.

You may never get the “why” on this side of eternity - and I’m not sold on the idea that we’ll understand why on the other side either. But, when we get to the other side, we won’t need to know the “why’s” because we’ll be with the ONE who created us and saved us. We may never know why something is happening, but we can know WHO we belong to. And when rock bottom comes, HE is enough!

Church, may we be a people who suffer well - not because we know WHY, but because we know WHO is with us. Who died to save us. Who is coming back for us. Who we will spend eternity worshipping because regardless my circumstances, my Christ is WORTHY of worship.

Revelation 12:11 NASB95

11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Paul used the phrase “In Christ” 4x more often when he was in prison (Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon, Colossians) versus when he was out of prison (1 Cor/1Thess/Romans/Gal/2Thess/2Cor) because even whenever he was in prison, he knew whose he was. Friend, you might not always know the WHAT, but you can always know the WHO! Instead of “what’s going on?” you know “Who I belong to!”