“Have a nice day!”
That’s a classic Americanism and statement one hears a lot in my home state of California. Usually, people do not mean it when they say it. After you complete a purchase, you hear, “Thank you, and have a nice day. Buh-bye.” Or even worse, when you try to return something and they refuse you, then say “Have a nice day.”
What is a “nice day” anyway? I guess it would be a day that is, well . . . nice! Presumably that would be a day free from sickness, conflict, and hardship.
God is sometimes portrayed as a Santa Claus figure that just wants you to be happy. He wants you wealthy, healthy, fat, and sassy. We can almost hear Him thundering from Sinai, “Have a nice day!”
Now, I am not suggesting God cannot or will not bless you with health, or even wealth. Nor am I suggesting that God will not bring happiness into your life, for He will. But that is not God’s primary objective. God wants to make you holy more than He wants to make you happy.
God’s objective is to be glorified in your life and make you like Jesus Christ. And your objective should be to be like Jesus Christ and glorify Him. But the good news is that happiness will follow holiness.
To be a holy person means that you will have trials, hardship, and suffering in life. Some would suggest that if you suffer, it is because you are living in sin. Or they would suggest that it is a direct result of wrong that you have done. Or, if you just had more faith it would not be happening to you. These wrong ideas about suffering are not new. In fact they are in the oldest book of the Bible, the book of Job.
A Quick Review
In Part 1 of this message, we met a man named Job who suffered. He lived in the land of Uz (not Oz). This is not a fictional story; this is a story of real people with real problems who turned to a real God.
Job was a man of integrity. He also was a wealthy man, a family man, and a prayerful man. The Lord had really blessed Job and his family and he was indeed a man of God.
We were also introduced to Satan in Job chapter 1. We saw that he goes back and forth across the earth, watching everything that’s going on. This suggests activity, action, a restlessness. The devil is just looking for trouble, for lives to ruin, for saints to stumble.
Meanwhile, up in heaven, God was bragging on His faithful servant. “Then the Lord asked Satan, ‘Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth . . . a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil’” (Job 1:8).
Satan challenged this claim by God, suggesting that Job feared God for what he got out of it instead of genuine love for the Lord. The devil was allowed to bring a series of calamities on poor old Job. In one day, Job’s possessions were all effectively lost. But worst of all, a powerful wind blew in where Job’s children were. The house collapsed and all of his children died. Seven sons and three daughters gone!
So, how did Job fare under this test Satan said he would collapse under? He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21).
No wonder God bragged on Job. What faith! Not only did Job not curse God, but he worshipped Him as well. But from the devil’s perspective, this party was just getting started.
More Suffering for Job
Read Job 2:1–10
“One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. ‘Where have you come from?’ the Lord asked Satan. Satan answered the Lord, ‘I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.’ Then the Lord asked Satan, ‘Have you noticed My servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged Me to harm him without cause.’ Satan replied to the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse You to Your face!’ ‘All right, do with him as you please,’ the Lord said to Satan. ‘But spare his life.’ So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot. Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, ‘Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.’ But Job replied, ‘You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?’ So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.”
Enter Job’s “Friends”
We now meet three of Job’s friends, each with a different point of view and counsel. But before they offered that counsel, they did the right thing for poor old Job.
“Three of Job’s friends were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. When they heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to demonstrate their grief. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. And no one said a word, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words!” (Job 2:11–13).
“No one said a word”; that was the perfect thing to do!
You should have met me when I was a 21-year-old pastor. I had all the answers. But now, after 40 years of ministry, I have found that one of the best things you can do for a hurting person is just be there. Don’t try to explain everything, because explanations never heal a broken heart. Sometimes because we don’t know what to say, we don’t even show up.
That is wrong. Just being present and accounted for means a lot.
You remember when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the cross, “He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be filled with horror and deep distress. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” (Mark 14:33–34). Jesus did not ask for a sermon; He asked for a friend. He then said, “Stay here and watch with Me,” and they ended up falling asleep.
That’s all Job needed—a friend.
If you do speak to a grieving person, it’s often good just say something like “I love you!” or “I’m here for you!” or “I’m praying for you!”
Sometimes people don’t want to talk. They might even shut down. That’s OK. On the other hand, we can say way too much. So many of our words of comfort can sound so hollow. We must avoid the easy answers and clichés in trying to comfort the suffering:
• “I know how you feel” (when you don’t).
• “There’s a reason for everything” (when we can’t see one).
• “No one ever said life was fair.” (That’s true, but is this the time to say it?)
• “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” (This was said to me.)
• “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” (How is a person supposed to do that?)
• “Cheer up; there’s always someone worse off” (But the suffering person always sees someone better off!)
• “God must have needed another angel in heaven!” (Unscriptural.)
• “God picks His best flowers first!” (Mindless.)
• You need to get over this! (Easier said than done.)
• “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” (At this point they are thinking of hurting you!)
• “Don’t worry; be happy!” (Now they are thinking of killing you!)
• “Have a nice day!” (Now they will kill you!)
Here’s a Christian cliché if a loved one dies: “Don’t be sad; they are with the Lord!” Now, that is true, but there is a place for sadness! Scripture says, “There is a time to laugh, and a time to weep” (Ecclesiastes 3).
At first, Job’s friends did just the right thing. They wept with their friend. Romans 12:15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (NIV).
Now, if man had written the book of Job, it would stop here, and go the last chapter. The three men would have been the perfect friends. Job would have been the perfect man. Though Job was “full of integrity,” he also was human.
A good part of the rest of the book of Job is about human reaction and logic on the topic of suffering, and finally God’s response. These three “friends” offered the same lame explanations people offer today for suffering.
1. Eliphaz saw God as inflexible, hard, and giving us what we deserve.
In Job 4:7–8, Eliphaz says, “Stop and think! Does the innocent person perish? When has the upright person been destroyed? My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same.”
Now, of course there is truth to this. We can all see cause and effect, reaping and sowing. We see the results and fruit of a life lived for God and the results and repercussions of the life lived without God. We see people who are honest, hard-working people of integrity reap the rewards. We see those who are dishonest and lazy reap the results. We may see a nonbeliever abuse their body through drugs, drinking, and smoking; and their health breaks down prematurely or they get in a drunk-driving accident. Though we take no pleasure in seeing this, it is a cautionary tale of not doing wrong.
But then there are those inexplicable situations that go against all conventional wisdom—when the godly person suffers. Job was a righteous man (God Himself said it) who was suffering.
2. Bildad had a similar tack as Eliphaz but thought this might all be a result of Job’s sin.
“God will not reject a person of integrity, nor will he make evildoers prosper” (Job 8:20). He is saying “Job, if you really were a man of integrity, this would not have happened!”
This is so wrong, as Job was actually distinguished as being a “man of integrity.”
3. Zophar cold-heartedly suggests that Job, because of his obvious sinfulness, deserves worse!
Job 11:6: “Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!” He offers more “encouragement” for Job later in chapter 20; speaking of the godless, Zophar says, “Yet he will perish forever, thrown away like his own dung. Those who knew him will ask, ‘Where is he?’ He will fade like a dream and not be found. He will vanish like a vision in the night” (Job 20:7)
Hallmark would definitely not want to hire these three to write sympathy cards. They might read something like this:
• Eliphaz’s card would say, “Sorry you are sick.” You then open the card up and read, “You got what you deserved!”
• Bildad’s would say, “Hoping you get well soon.” The inside would read: “But if you were really godly as you claim, this would not have happened.”
• Zophar’s card would be even more brutal. On the outside: “I hope you get worse!” And on the inside: “You will die, no one will remember you, and you will be thrown away like poop.”
Job’s wife’s card would have been the worst of the lot. On the cover it would say, “Well, it looks like your life is over.” Open it up and it would say, “Just curse God and die already!”
There Is a Lot We Can Learn from Job’s Story.
As James 5:11 sates, “You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord; that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” You learn how to persevere in your own trials and how to help others in theirs.
Here’s the deal: you think you cannot handle something but God knows. God will never give you more than you can handle. Everything Satan did, he had to get permission for.
As we move on in this book, we find in chapter 3 that Job asks the question “Why?” five times. There is not anything necessarily wrong with asking God why—as long as we don’t get the idea that God somehow owes us an answer. Frankly, God owes you nothing. Yet we may wonder when tragedy hits, “Why?”
Even Jesus, at Calvary, cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” But let me ask you this: if the Lord did tell you why things happen the way they do, would that ease your pain or heal your broken heart? Does reading the x-ray take away the pain of a broken leg? We live on promises, not explanations, so we shouldn’t spend too much time asking God why.
These conversations go back and forth in the book of Job for chapters. Mostly lame questions and stupid answers offered. Job himself droned on endlessly. Finally, the Lord can’t take anymore. God now has some questions and answers of his own.
Job 38:1–7:
“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that questions My wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?’”
God is sarcastically putting old Job in his place and seeking to put things in perspective. “Job, you seem to know so much. Somehow I did not notice you when I created the world.” Job did not need an explanation about God, but rather an encounter with God, a revelation of God. Why? Because when we see God for who He is, we will see our problems for what they are.
Small God, big problems. Big God, small problems. God’s address to Job centered on His works in nature and consisted of 77 questions, each question is interspersed with divine commentary. The whole point of this was to help Job see his own inadequacy, weakness, and need. Job is humbled, and is ready to listen to what God has to say.
The Lord poses a question: “‘Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?’ Then Job replied to the Lord, ‘I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers?’” (Job 40:2–4).
Reasons for Suffering
So, why does God allow suffering? More specifically, why do bad things happen to godly people?
1. God will sometimes allow suffering and sickness to get our attention!
We may be rebelling against Him, and He wants it to stop. This was the case with the reluctant prophet Jonah.
Psalm 119:67 says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word” (NKJV). So, the Lord may allow a situation to wake us up to our real need—even something as tragic as the death of a child.
One person wrote me:
“A person expects to lose a parent, maybe even a brother, sister, aunt, or uncle; but, never a child. My son would have been 16 years old this year. It has been 15 years since his death. He was the person who brought me to the Lord. Because of his death I received my salvation. The comfort I found when I fell into God’s hands . . . God knows my pain; He lost a son too! 15 years later, I still cry at Christmas. That’s when I remember his life and my loss. I still cry at Easter, that’s when I am assured I will see him again. I know I will never get over it because I don’t want to get over it. The intensity is less, but, like the joy of life takes the pain away of birth. I have found salvation through God’s Son because of the loss of mine!”
God used unimaginable tragedy to bring this person to the Lord.
Maybe something radical or tragic has happened to you lately. The death of a loved one. Bad news from a doctor. A close brush with death yourself. Or it may not be as radical as that, but it has gotten your attention, and you hurt! Perhaps your marriage failed, your parents divorced, you got fired. Maybe your girlfriend/boyfriend dumped you.
It could be that God is trying to get your attention.
2. To reveal what you are made of.
God is in control of all circumstances that surround the believer. As shown in this story, the devil can do nothing in the life of the believer without express permission on the part of God. But why would God give Satan that permission? Because Satan’s attacks will show what you are made of. It will separate the real from the false, the wheat from the tares.
When attacked, a real believer will turn to God. A nonbeliever will turn against Him. It seems doubtful that Job’s wife was a Christian (she told Job to “curse God”!). People react in different ways to crisis. It seems you either turn to the Lord or against Him. And the result is you either get better or bitter.
As I said before, suffering does not create character; it reveals it.
3. Suffering helps us grow spiritually and makes us stronger in the faith.
It takes our faith from the realm of theory to realty, so we can start living out our faith in the real world. B. Simpson said, “Temptation exercises our faith and teaches us to pray. It is like military drill and a taste of battle to the young soldier. It puts us under fire and compels us to exercise our weapons and prove their potency. It shows us the recourse of Christ and the preciousness of the promises of God. Every victory gives us new confidence in our victorious leader and new courage for the next onslaught of the foe.”
Until then we must depend on and trust God. That’s what Job did when his whole world fell apart. He said, “Praise the name of the Lord!” He did not say, “I understand it,” but simply, “Lord, I trust you!”
4. Suffering can be used to prepare us for a special task.
This was the case with Joseph. Much adversity prepared him for the task at hand. After being abandoned by his brothers, and removed from his people, he was still able to say “God did it!” Not merely “God allowed it,” but “God did it.”
But why did God do it? As Joseph said, “To save many people alive!”
You need to know that the experiences of your life can and will be used of God to help others. And when we have suffered, we can offer a special measure to someone else who is suffering.
If they just found out they have cancer, and you are a cancer survivor, you can comfort.
If they just had a child die, and feel as though they cannot go on another minute, much less a lifetime, if you have been down that road, you can comfort them like no one else. 2 Corinthians 1:3–5: “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ.”
In the final chapter of the book of Job, God restored everything double. He has passed the test, and given us an amazing example. He had more children, but nothing would replace his first ones. And Job lived a long, blessed life.
Perhaps the hardships of today are preparing you for great opportunities tomorrow. Warren Wiersbe quotes a professor of history who said, “If Columbus had turned back, nobody would have blamed him—but nobody would have remembered him either.” Wiersbe concludes, “If you want to be memorable, sometimes you have to be miserable.”
You might say, “I could never handle the things Job faced! In fact, I can’t handle suffering at all.” Don’t worry. God will give you what you need when you need it. Not before, never after, but when you need it.
Corrie ten Boom used to tell a story:
“When I was a little girl, I went to my father and said, “Daddy, I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ.”
“Tell me,” said father, “When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?”
“No, daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train.”
“That is right,” my father said, “and so it is with God’s strength. Our father in heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ. He will supply all you need—just in time.”
We may not be called to be martyrs, but we will all suffer in life. And God will give us the strength we need, just in time.
