Sometimes when we’re suffering we just want to make it through tonight and get to tomorrow.
Life is hard when it drags on like that. No end of your suffering in sight. And all you can do is endure the night. And sometimes even praying that you won’t wake up tomorrow, because you have the expectation that you will wake in the morning only to have to endure tomorrow as well.

And for Job, suffering the loss of his entire family, and all his wealth, and then even his own health. “Comforted” by all his so called friends… gathering around and basically telling him to repent, because he must have sinned pretty badly if God is doing all this to him!

One of the great lessons from the story of Job, is that looking back now at the end of the story, we can see that his suffering did have a purpose. He just didn’t know what it was at the time. And it was not brought on him by his sin, or by any failing of his at all.
In fact, it was God showing Satan how faithful and righteous Job really was, and this suffering was a way of glorifying Yahweh.
Satan just wanted Job to curse God and die. But Job refused because he trusted Yahweh completely.

And like the blind man in John 9, … born blind, blind for at least 30 years, (since he’s now “of age”), despised and put down by all who passed by, “either him, or his parents… somebody sinned if he’s suffering that much”…

But in the end, it was so Yeshua could walk past one day and heal him to prove that he really is the son of Yahweh. Because up until then, nobody had ever been able to heal someone who had been born blind.
But Yeshua showed that he’s not just some guy. He’s not just some prophet like all the others. He’s the son of Yahweh, and he can heal anyone, of anything, anytime.

How do you think that blind man feels about it all now?

In fact both these stories challenge the “wisdom of the wise”. In both stories the supposed religious experts of the day assumed the suffering only occurs if you sin. But in both cases, totally wrong.
Sometimes very sinful people don’t suffer.
Sometimes very good people do.
Even Yeshua himself. 100% sinless, and suffered totally undeserved beatings, humiliation, even death.

Job’s “friends” must have all been hypocrites too. Spouting that it was because of his sin, and not wondering why they weren’t suffering worse than Job themselves. Because they knew Job. They knew what a godly and upright man he was.
They knew that Job was way more righteous than they were. But they couldn’t possibly be wrong, so he must have some secret sin.

Oh the self righteous are always like that aren’t they. Totally oblivious to their own failures.
All they want to do is point out the failings of others to make themselves feel better about their own miserable lives.


And some of us suffer directly because we’re Christians standing up for God.
Like those in 1 Peter 2, who were beaten by their masters even though they did nothing wrong.
Or those in 1 Peter 3 who are suffering even though they totally do not deserve it. But who choose to shine for Yeshua regardless.


So, … if you’re suffering. Hang in there.

Yahweh does have a purpose. He knows what you’re going through.
He loves you. Honestly he does. More than you can actually imagine.

If he asked you in advance, “would you suffer this much so I can glorify myself through you?”… would you have accepted?

Shine like Job. Shine like the blind man in John 9.
Look for the day when you see your saviour face to face and you get to see him thank you for what you did for him.

And, if your friend is suffering like this… be there for them. Go through it with them.
Don’t be self righteous, just do what you can to help them and so they know they’re not alone.