Job - Suffering of the righteous (2)

In view of Job’s intense suffering, his wife would have gone through a deep emotional test. She who had witnessed Job’s integrity, blamelessness before God and would have definitely been shocked by his suffering. She must have been awe struck with what was happening around her. She wouldn’t have found the answer for the lost of their children, all their earthly possession, and now Job’s health. At this state of confusion, she reprimanded her husband saying, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die."

Yes indeed….she did not sound Christian. She sounded like an ungrateful person who has forgotten all the goodness of God. She did not think or ponder but abruptly accused God for abandoning Job and thus tells him to curse God and die. Well, these are the common criticism that Job’s wife receive from us. We all tend to be the judge to condemn her of her abrupt statement.

Let us be reminded that we are nothing better than Job’s wife is. She was clueless of what was happening to her. She would have felt ‘divinely’ rejected and there isn’t any more meaning for living. In times of intense suffering, we too struggle like Mrs. Job. Though we may not abruptly make a public statement “to curse God and die”, but in our own response, we would have done the same mistake.

It’s always easy to praise God from our comfort zone, in best of health and wealth. But what happens when we lose all that we have…..especially our health. What would be our response to God? In recent days, there have been many people falling sick in my church. One elderly woman’s leg was amputated due to high diabetes. Another man has been diagnosed to have both his renal failed and loosing his eyesight due to high diabetes as well. The most tragic of this series of suffering is a 13 years old girl who is suspected to have colon cancer. As their Pastor, how am I to console and advise them. When I fit myself into their shoes, it is too hard to explain and response to suffering. The young girl’s father cries without understanding what is happening. I just do not know how to console him. How can we expect people who are suffering to happily accept their suffering as God’s will? It is indeed hard. Suffering and death has always remained a mystery.

In understanding this reality in life, we should not be quick to judge those who make abrupt statements against God in their intense suffering . We should pray that God in His mercy will save this people from their suffering and if even if He doesn’t, He will give them the sufficient grace to endure hardship and remain faithful to Him.

It is my honest prayer that those who suffer will not lose their faith in Jesus though they are not healed from their ailment. “God…..help us to comprehend your ways even at the most difficult times in life. Help us Lord to remain in our integrity even at the point of suffering and death. To you be the Glory. Amen.