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@ LibertyGal
2025-06-04 13:21:20It is hard going through difficult situations. Health problems, family problems, financial problems, feeling alone, feeling stuck in the wrong place, and persecution are all situations that Christians regularly find themselves. The question is “How will we respond to pain?”
Advice for the Suffering
Some Christians pull away from God when it feels like everything is going wrong. They think God doesn’t care or can’t fix things. They resent every minute of pain and accuse God of wrongdoing. Even Job, who fell on his face in worship after losing everything had a moment of weakness.
“Oh that my grief were actually weighed\ And laid in the balances together with my calamity!\ For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;\ Therefore my words have been rash.” (Job 6:2-3) {emphasis mine}
After a moment of doubt, he did, however, repent of his rash words, as should we all.
Job should be an example to us all in dealing with pain and difficult situations. This is the verse that inspired this post.
But it is still my consolation,\ And I rejoice in unsparing pain,\ That I have not denied the words of the Holy One. \ (Job 6:10) {emphasis mine}
What an example! “I rejoice in unsparing pain.” When we trust God so much that we can rejoice in unsparing pain, we are trusting God as we should. We are accepting that God is working good in our life and we can trust Him even when nothing makes sense to us.
I also love how he says that his consolation is that “I have not denied the words of the Holy One.” Job is hurting terribly. His heart is broken. He is destitute. He lost 8 children in one day. His friends, that came to console him, have instead accused him of wrongdoing. He doesn’t understand what God is doing and why, but he has “NOT denied the words of the Holy One.” He is still putting his faith in God and his word. He is still submitting to God when he feels mistreated. He is still trusting \ God, even when he doesn’t understand what God is doing and why so many bad things are raining down on him in a torrent. Despite it all, he refuses to deny God. I hope if I am ever put through similar situations, that I can trust God and not deny His goodness.
Advice for friends
The book of Job, in addition to advice to those who are suffering, also gives advice to friends of those who are suffering. (or maybe more accurately, what not to do)
Job’s friends came with the intention to encourage and console Job. Every time Job would confess his thoughts, concerns, and questions, the response by his friends would get harsher and harsher. In the beginning they were gentle corrections, but they quickly escalated to accusing Job of great sins, that they had to know were not true, and blaming Job for every hard thing that had happened to him.
I’ve talked to other Christians who have confessed to being dragged down by other Christians who would tell them that every difficult thing that happened to them was due to their sin or lack of faith. In the case of Job, his difficulties were due to his faithfulness, in order to prove to Satan and all of history that a faithful man would stay faithful to God in good times and in bad.
Can Christians suffer as a consequence of sins and poor decisions? Of course, but there are many times that the faithful suffer. In Scripture, the people who suffered most were frequently the most faithful.
Job’s correction of his friends was accurate.
“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;\ So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.\ My brothers have acted deceitfully like a wadi,\ Like the torrents of wadis which vanish, (Job 6:14-15)
For those who don’t know, a wadi is a streambed that has water running in the wet season, but is bone dry during the dry season. Job accused his friends of being encouraging and helpful when he was prospering, then showing up and providing no encouragement or help when he needed it most. He thought refreshment was coming to visit, and instead what hope he had left was drained from him by his “friends.”
We need to make sure we aren’t one of those who decreases hope and decreases faith in one who is hurting. We need to have mercy when a hurting person works through their confusion and doubts and help lead them back to God instead of driving a wedge between them and God.
May the God of heaven protect us and lead us through the trials of life and may our trials lead us into the arms of our Savior. May God help us to merciful and to help guide the hurting into the Savior’s care.
Trust Jesus