Simple Bible Truths Suffering

Suffering

It comes to everyone.

Even the faithful
Job: blameless, and lost his children, his health, everything.
Joseph: innocent, and sold into slavery, then prison.
David: anointed king, then hunted for years.
Hannah: barren, mocked, poured out her grief to God.
Naomi: lost her husband and both sons in a foreign land.
Paul: faithful, and beaten, shipwrecked, jailed.
Jesus: sinless, and crucified.
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

Toward or Away

Two ways to turn.

TOWARD
Turned to God in the pain.
AWAY
Turned from God in the pain.
“The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job 1:21 (CSB)
Examples
TOWARD
Job: “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Joseph: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”
The three in the furnace: “Our God can save us. But if not, we still won’t bow.”
Paul: “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
Habakkuk: “Though the fig tree does not bud, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”
AWAY
Job’s wife: “Curse God and die.”
The wilderness generation: grumbled and longed for Egypt.
Saul: in his distress, turned to a medium instead of God.
Those under judgment: cursed God and did not repent.

No pain is wasted.

When you turn toward Him, suffering produces something.

What they endured, and what it produced
THE SUFFERING
Joseph: sold by his brothers, enslaved, imprisoned.
Hannah: years of barrenness and mockery.
David: hunted, betrayed, hiding in caves.
Naomi: lost her husband and both sons.
Job: lost everything in a single day.
Jesus: rejected, betrayed, crucified.
WHAT IT PRODUCED
Joseph: learned God was with him, even in the pit.
Hannah: found her voice before God in prayer.
David: raw faith, forged in hiding.
Naomi: held on, and hope found her.
Job: “I had heard of You, but now my eye sees You.”
Jesus: perfect trust. “Not my will, but Yours.”

Some saw resolution in their lifetimes. Some never did (Heb 11:39). They grew closer to God either way.

“We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Romans 5:3–5

Takeaway

Suffering it finds everyone.
The turn toward Him, or away.
When it hurts, turn toward Him.
What turning toward sounds like
  • “Not my will, but Yours.”Jesus, Luke 22:42
  • “I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”David, Psalm 23:4
  • “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Hope in God.”Psalm 42:11
What turning away sounds like
  • “The Lord has forsaken me.”Isaiah 49:14
  • “It is useless to serve God.”Malachi 3:14
  • “Is the Lord among us or not?”Israel at Massah, Exodus 17:7
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.”
Revelation 21:4