08222020 God-Initiated Suffering

Dear Missionary Lady, 

Greetings, friends. How are you doing? I know that for several of you the past few weeks have held particularly strong challenges, and my prayers have increased for you this week. Satan is at work in our world. He is trying to stop God's work. But he can't! Interestingly, this battle between God and Satan is precisely what came up in the next lesson from Job.

Lesson #2. Sometimes God initiates suffering. "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (1:8). Satan didn't bring Job up in the conversation; God did. There is no reason to believe that Satan would have pinpointed Job if God had not presented him as an example.

God was setting up a contest of supernatural proportion and implications. Job was the arena. By highlighting Job to Satan, God presented a challenge which Satan chose to accept, and the battle began. This was like a colossal chess match being played right on top of Job.

Could Satan win? Could he discredit God? Could he show that following God was a whim or a matter of convenience? Or would God win? Could He confirm that His relationship with His followers was unshakeable? Could He demonstrate that people were truly committed to Him because of a connection deeper than what Satan was willing to acknowledge?

The attacks were Satan's - the marauders, the fire from heaven, the plunderers, the great wind, and the horrific illness. Satan did those things after God set forth the challenge. God did initiate the contest, and God even claims responsibility. "Although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause" (2:3).

I think there are five primary sources of suffering. First, much of the suffering in our world comes simply because we live on a fallen planet. Ever since the fall of man and the start of the curse, this world has been broken. We have things like plagues, droughts, floods, decay, disease, sickness, and death. These very common trials are simply natural implications of the fall. Second, some suffering is inflicted by other people. Because people have a sin nature and because they are not perfect, they will sometimes inflict suffering on other people, either intentionally or unintentionally. Third, we bring some suffering on ourselves. By our own choices or by following our own lusts, we can create situations of suffering. Fourth, Satan initiates suffering. He is cruel and hateful, not caring about those who are in his kingdom and antagonistic against those who follow God. Fifth, some suffering is initiated by God. For the unbeliever, this can be either punishment or an attempt to draw the person to God. For the believer, God also initiates suffering for His varied purposes.

There is much overlap in these sources, as there was in Job's case. We may not always know which cause is primary, and as far as our response, it may not matter. What is important for us to realize is that God is always involved. Whether He initiated the suffering or whether He is overseeing it, it is within His control and is serving His purposes. In speaking of suffering, Peter said "if need be" (I Peter 1:6) and "if the will of God be so" (I Peter 3:17). Yes, God sometimes deems suffering necessary. God sometimes wills suffering to happen.

Through suffering, God is accomplishing His purposes. That was true for Job, and it is true for us. Those purposes often have something to do with us (James 1:2-4). Those purposes also have much to do with God. God uses suffering to display His glory, to reveal Himself to the spiritual world, and to accomplish things that are much bigger than us. We may have no idea of the scope of what God is doing while we suffer. The reality is that God will never allow suffering for a Christian - whether initiated by Him or from some other source - without having divine goals that He wants to accomplish.

Continue pressing forward this week with God's strength and God's grace. He has helped you in the past, and He will continue to help you in the present and the future. Remember, the victory is God's! Satan cannot and will not win.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA