Trusting God In Our Sufferings
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Job 40, 41 and Psalm 133 (NIV)
(Chua Chi Siong, CIC facilitator)
READ:
Job 40-41, focusing on Job 40:1-8 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
God allowed Satan to inflict an upright Job with multiple calamities, taking away his children, wealth and health. Job’s friends then accused Job that it was his sins that caused them. In Job 13:3, he expressed his “desire to speak to the Almighty God and argue his case with God”. In Job 38-40, God spoke, emphatically established Himself as the omnipotent, omniscient Creator, and the punisher of the proud and the wicked.
The repentant Job humbled himself and recognised his unworthiness to contend and accuse God.
In Job 40:8, God posed the following questions to Job:
- Would you discredit my justice?
- Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
APPLY:
I am thankful that I can come and seek God at all times. But I must never assume to be His equal, or worse, treat Him as a genie-god at my beck and call.
There have been times when I envy the prosperous wicked. When things don’t go my way while I try to live the “virtuous” life, I wonder if God is just. Further, there were occasions when my faith was shaken, when I witnessed incomprehensible sufferings to the innocents. I repent of my lack of faith and trust in God.
Many years ago, an elderly relative of Christian faith suffered a debilitating stroke. As I visited her in the nursing home, she cried bitterly and angrily questioned God’s goodness and justice. I remember being stunned silent and unable to provide any comfort to her. In my future divine appointments with the hurting, may God teach me to listen and care with love and non-judgement, that I can be the ministering vessel of His grace and healing.
DO:
• I will come to God in authenticity, trusting Him to understand my frustration, anger and sadness in the various life challenges.
• In seeking His divine guidance, comfort and intervention for my life, my loved ones and situations that I care about, I may not fully understand His way but I will learn to surrender to His good and perfect will.
• Through God’s overflowing love, I will show empathy to the hurting and bring His quiet Presence, comforting words and practical help to them.
PRAY:
Almighty God, You are Creator of all things. Yet, You are my loving Heavenly Father, and as Your child, I can come to You in my distress and pain. Even in Your apparent silence, may I never doubt Your goodness and justice.
Help me to bring Your healing, love and peace to the ones who are suffering and hurting, that they may receive comfort and see that the Lord has not forgotten them.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
