Life is marked by events of suffering, both great and small. Some are the byproduct of a natural disaster impacting entire communities with loss, grief, and sorrow. Others are the fruit of human evil that has a profound effect on the world. Still others are intensely private, affecting an individual person or a single family. In all these cases, a common thread is found—the struggle to understand suffering and why it happens.

The book of Job describes the intense suffering of Job. If you read up to chapter 38, when God finally speaks, you expect some kind of definitive answer to the problem of human suffering. Instead, the story takes a sharp turn. God doesn’t give answers, He just asks questions—science questions, in fact, covering the fields of zoology, astronomy, and meteorology, revealing His ultimate sovereignty over all creation.

Job stood before almighty God in dumbfounded silence. He wanted to know “Why?” but God responded with “Who.” The lesson for us is this: If God can run the universe in such a spectacular way, we can trust His love and wisdom with the inexplicable and puzzling mysteries of life. We don’t know what God will do in the future for us or for our loved ones who are struggling, but we know we can trust Him.

When you’re facing the mystery of suffering, read the final chapters of Job beginning with chapter 38. God, the ultimate Comforter, can be trusted.

Adapted from When You Don’t Know What to Say by Roy Clark. © 2007 Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Read more at https://discoveryseries.org/courses/when-you-dont-know-what-to-say/.

Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.

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