Life Lessons in Dealing with Suffering

• Job: Did his best, but life fell apart. Didn’t know he was helping God win a cosmic bet with the devil. Job’s responses to his devil-inflicted suffering made God famous in heaven and in hell.

• Not my fav book: too long, too repetitive, mostly job defending himself from three friend’s who just want Job to admit his sins caused all this trouble

• Comments on animals: Job 39: Ostriches are pretty dumb because “God has made her forget wisdom And has not given her a share of understanding.” (Brains and trains story) and in Job 41 the best description of a dragon I have seen in non-fiction literature. Maybe there is a Godzilla after all. :) (Probably all dead now—Job could have lived before the flood) !

• Great lines: The Lord gives and the Lord takes—blessed be the name of the Lord ( after losing all his children and all his wealth in one day)

• “"Though He slay me, I will hope in Him…” Job 13:15

Inevitable• Jesus promised us: In the world, we will have tribulation. If

they hated me, they will hate you ( demons and some people)

• Job 5:7: “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.”

• REV 12:17: WAR ON THE SAINTS: “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring--those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”

• Chinese Bishop to Corrie Ten Boom: opps!

Everything Has A Purpose

• The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way. Ps. 37:23

• Romans 8:28: God makes ALL things work together for good to those who love Him to those who are are called according to His Name.

• Gen 50:20: “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”

Suffering Has Great Meaning for God & Us

!

• Our Suffering never surprises God. He knows about it before it happens and uses it for good.

• It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. (David—Psalm 119:71)

• Even though Jesus was God's Son, He learned obedience from the things he suffered. (Heb 5:8). Jesus said He would have to suffer to obey God.

• God predicted that Paul would suffer much to take the Gospel to the world. He did. Shipwrecks, prison, stoned, etc.

• Paul told Timothy: “suffer hardship with me..”

• I Peter 4:13: Called to share the sufferings of Christ ( to do God’s will)

• Romans 8:17: We will be a joint-heir with Jesus if we suffer with Him ( obedience)

Biblical Purposes• Most common: God causes suffering to bring loving

correction. Bible begins and ends with this type of suffering. Beware teaching of hyper-grace.

• Israel—100x in OT. Used plagues,famine, wars and wild animals

• Heb 12:6: FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”

• Ananias & Saphira, Sickness at Lord’s supper, turned some rebels over to Satan to bring them to repentance

Biblical Purposes• For God’s glory: Job & John 9 & death of

Lazarus!

• John 9:3: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.!

• Many believed in Jesus due to resurrection of Lazarus so much the leaders plotted to kill lazarus again!

Suffering Has Great Meaning

• Suffering always changes us. God uses suffering to refine, prune, shape and prepare us for promotion in the Kingdom

• Our response to suffering will change our lives for better or for worse. Holy, sacred time between God & us.

• Lays bare our soul, our innermost thoughts to ourselves and to God.

• During times of suffering, we are clay on the potters wheel again, being shaped by the kind but strong hands of the Master.

My Experiences• My heart crushed in one church by false church by

false accusations and conflict with proud leaders but it squeezed the fear of rejection out of me.

• Had two mortgages for 6 months with four children. Thought it would ruin me. It did not and fear of want was dealt a major blow.

• Lost my mom in her divorce of dad but it protected me from the deep brokenness of my mom, whom I loved.

• 1995-2000 Beth and I went through the greatest test of our marriage and finances.

• Death of both parents within a week, loss of my grandmother & uncle and daughter’s mental health within three months.

• Resigned our church to pursue new ministry: alone, faltering finances, depressed wife, sick child, rejection and competition by leaders, loss of ministry and vision. Little emotional support.

Lessons • Express your pain. Don’t handle alone. Seek help, counsel,

especially when trials come. Don’t pull away from people like we did.

• Spend a lot of time with God. Do a retreat, fast, seek God furiously. Don’t ignore the pain. “While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. (Heb 5:7)

• Focus on what God is revealing in you and revealing about Him > than fixing the situation. “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” ( CS Lewis)

• Trials bring our lies to the surface so God can give us truth instead.

Lessons • So, Don’t waste your sufferings. Learn the lessons

God wants to teach, grow closer to Him, receive truth for lies you believe. Times of suffering are expensive, valuable seasons to grow more into the person wants you to be now & in eternity.

• “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison…”2 Cor. 4:16-17