E14 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - Suffering - Not Why but How - Part 2 of 3

Hope’s Harbor

Gritty Bible Devotions

Episode #14

Title: Suffering - Not why but who – Part 2 of 3

Date: 7/5/2021

Contact: info@hopesharbor.net

Key verse: Job 1:20-22 –

Job 1:20 - Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.

Job 1:21 - And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."

Job 1:22 - In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Intro: From the devotion in Episode 13 we learned suffering is appointed to us by no less than GOD Himself. We looked at verses in the book of James to see how GOD uses suffering to give us the opportunity to choose joy and submit to having our faith purified and strengthened with endurance and perseverance, that quality of never quitting, of refusing to give up no matter what the circumstances or how bad the pain.

In this week’s episode, we look at how Job acted and reacted to unbearable pain.

Devotion focus:

·         Not why but who (Job 1:20-22)

Actually, we know why Job suffered the onslaught of Satan.

And whose doing was it that Job suffered so greatly? Listen to Job 1:8 – ‘Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?"’

GOD provoked it. Almighty GOD picked a fight with Satan and Job felt the brunt of it.  

You see, GOD, while operating in the realm of a sin-fallen world used suffering in the life of Job, so that He, GOD, would gain glory over Satan. Job’s weakness became apparent during the pain-filled days and nights and yet with grace he prevailed, and we have the rich book of Job for comfort in our own suffering.

GOD’s powerful Grace became apparent during the ordeal as Job questions GOD’s purposes and fends off the repeated attacks from his self-righteous ‘friends.’ Through it all Job remains faithful to GOD.

How about you and me? I can tell you that in times past when I began to suffer from some event outside my control, I became angry with GOD.

I blamed Him and accused Him of not caring for me, or for a loved one going through a hard time of suffering. Or… when an innocent victim suffered.

One of the worst emergency calls I went to in my 21 years of law enforcement involved the fatal injury of a 2-year-old.

After escorting the med unit to a nearby hospital, the child was airlifted to a medical facility better equipped for the serious injury to that baby. I tousled his hair as the helicopter door closed and stood there as the pilot lifted off and raced away at full power.

I prayed mightily for the life of that child but to no avail. When I called the following day to see how he was doing, a nurse told me that innocent child was dead.

I wept tears of rage. Why? Why did GOD allow this? I was so angry at the world, at the circumstances leading to this child’s death, and angry at GOD.

Now, compare my reaction to that of Job’s reaction: Listen again as I read the verses in Job 1:20-22, but this time listen carefully to Job’s words after being told his children were killed and his herds stolen by raiders –

Job 1:20 - Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.

Job 1:21 - And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."

Job 1:22 - In all this Job did not sin nor charge GOD with wrong.

I believe Job made a predetermined choice to trust GOD with his life, and that meant with everything concerning his life, both the good and the inconceivable bad.

My reactions of anger with GOD when things go wrong, when things happen that are so unfair, when I lose in life, all come from a lack of trust in GOD’s goodness.

And I want things to go my way. I want control.

Now, what do you think my anger with GOD has gotten me over the years? I’ll tell you… a lot of time wasted with bitterness and resentment.

Also, because I didn’t trust GOD completely during those days, I carried a lot of fear about the future. This in turn led to miserable anxiety always gnawing away at my insides.

So how about it? Will we choose to be more like Job when suffering catches us in a strong grip of pain?

If you want to trust GOD with ALL circumstances, begin now to condition your mind about GOD’s greatness. Read the book of Acts in one sitting and you’ll see how the LORD worked out for good the trials of His people.

The first mighty act of GOD was to provide us with salvation that only became possible with the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

The fact GOD the Father allowed His Son to suffer the unimaginable pain and humiliation of dying on that cross tells us GOD has a plan for every event in the life of His children.

This is portrayed in Psalm 139:16 – “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”

Fashioned in this verse means squeezing into shape; to mold into a form; figuratively to determine, to purpose.

So GOD knows what He’s doing in and with our lives.

GOD reinforces this in Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Okay, listen, this verse in Jeremiah teaches us that events we call evil or called by GOD events designed to give us a future and hope.

Whether this happens for us is determined by us as to how we respond to suffering and all its pain.

This involves a process to learn how to do this and it is best to get started learning now.

Summary: I urge you to study these passages in Job, Psalms, and Jeremiah and begin to change your mindset about suffering. We know suffering is here to stay in this life. We’re either just coming out of a painful event, in one now, or headed for one.

If you will allow GOD to use suffering, He will do good with it, both for you and others, later.

Keep in mind Isaiah 55:8 - "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.

Isaiah 55:9 - "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Action to consider: Write these verses on a 3x5 card and begin to condition your mind as to how you will react to pain and suffering, both now and in the future.

·         Job 1:20 - Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.

·         Job 1:21 - And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."

·         Job 1:22 - In all this Job did not sin nor charge GOD with wrong.

·         Psalm 139:16 – “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”

·         Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

·         Isaiah 55:8 - "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.

·         Isaiah 55:9 - "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Next week’s devotion: Not me but us - taken from 2nd Cor. 1:3-7 –

2Co 1:3 – “Blessed be the GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and GOD of all comfort,

2Co 1:4 – “who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by GOD.

2Co 1:5 - “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.”