Why Do the Righteous Suffer?

Main Text: Job 1:1-22

James 1:12
New International Version (©1984)
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
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Romans 5:1-5
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^b rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we^c also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
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My Reflections

Life is full of drama. One time we feel like we are walking on top of the planet and other times like deep under the darkest terrains of the ocean. There's no promise in the Bible that life will always be calm, trouble-free, or just-plain sweet. But promises abound of God's presence in the midst of trouble. One of such is found in Isaiah 43:2 thus, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Life is best lived when we learn to appreciate suffering as part of life and that God has promised His presence with us. 
Job ( Job 1:1-22 )was the richest man in his time, and to add to that, he was the most virtuous man, one who feared God so much that Satan took notice and sought to undo him. Being one who had always trusted God and had placed all his life in Him and not in anything he owned - not even in his family, he stood the test and at the end of all, emerged victorious. We see in Job's experience the activities of Satan on one side in accusing God's children and seeking to do them harm, and on the other side, God though allowing him to put his hand on Job's stuff, family and health, would not totally let him destroy Job. Now, Paul in Romans 5:1-5 sees suffering as a means through which our faith is strengthened, and therefore hope established. He was a man so accustomed to suffering and at one point as is recorded in Acts 21:26-36, he was almost lynched by a mob. It should be our comfort to know that God's grace is sufficient even when all seems to be working against us. He ( God ) told Paul " My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." and we can be sure that's what He is telling us even when we sail life's rough seas, walk life's dark paths or face persecutions for our faith in Him.
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To Illustrate

In his book Disappointment With God Philip Yancey quotes a letter that reminds us of how easy and natural it is to blame God for our human suffering. Meg Woodson lost two children to cystic fibrosis, and her daughter's death at age 23 was particularly traumatic. Her letter describes the pain and doubt she felt as she struggled to cope:

"I was sitting beside her bed a few days before her death when she suddenly began screaming. I will never forget those shrill, piercing, primal screams. It's against this background of human beings falling apart … that God, who could have helped, looked down on a young woman devoted to Him, quite willing to die for Him to give Him glory, and decided to sit on His hands and let her death top the horror charts for cystic fibrosis deaths."

Human suffering can't be explained. Yet, God is not the author of misery. It is not His will for His created children to suffer. This is one of those situations where it's so important to cling to our deep-rooted faith in our loving God .- Source: Philip Yancey, Disappointment With God, Zondervan, 1988, p. 158.

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Out of the dark forbidding soil
The pure white lilies grow.
Out of the black and murky clouds,
Descends the stainless snow.
Out of the crawling earth-bound worm
A butterfly is born.
Out of the somber shrouded night,
Behold! A golden morn!
Out of the pain and stress of life,
The peace of God pours down.
Out of the nails—the spear—the cross,
Redemption—and a crown! - Unknown

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Someone asked C.S Lewis, "Why do the righteous suffer?" "Why not?" he replied. "They are the only ones who can take it." - Unknown.

Additional Resources

Audio Resources

• The Joy of Suffering - Joni Eareckson Tada 
• Called to Pay the Price - Wally Magdangal
• Suffering: If God is so Good, why is there so much evil in the world? - Tim Keller

Prayer


Dear Lord, thank you for thy word today. Thanks for the knowledge that suffering will not last forever, and that there awaits for me a crown of life after this life is over. Help me to rejoice in suffering and to always remember that your Son Jesus did suffer on the cross for me, and that He triumphed and is now seated at your right hand. Help me to always remember that there is hope at the end of this life's pains and sorrow, and that you are with us even through such to the end of time. These I pray in Jesus' Name.
Amen.

Peace

•  John 14:27

New International Version (©1984)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
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• Philippians 4:7

King James Bible
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


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Definition:

1 : a state of tranquility or quiet: as a : freedom from civil disturbance
2 : freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict/peace
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My Reflections:

If it were possible to buy peace, it would perhaps be the hottest item on the market. But there's  none rich enough to buy it, nor one so poor that he cannot afford it. Peace with oneself, peace with others and ultimately, peace with God, is only possible through Christ. We see in John 14:27 that the peace He gives is in far greater measure than that which the world can afford us. 

Illustrations:

• Duke University did a study on "peace of mind." Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are: 1) the absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness. 2) Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression. 3) Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it. 4) Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress. 5) Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune. 6) Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues--love, humor, compassion and loyalty. 7) Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable. 8) Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness. - Source Unknown.

• Peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always. - Source Unknown.

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Links for Further Reading:

• True Peace in Your Life
• Peace in the Midst of the Storm
• Blessed with Peace beyond Measure

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Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus. May your peace that exceeds all understanding be mine today and always. Quiet the raging storms within me, and grant me to always behold your presence even in the worst of storms. This I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Obedience

Anchor Passages:
New Living Translation (©2007)

• Philippians 2:8

He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. ( NLT, 2007)

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  Romans 6:16 

¹⁶Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (NIV)

•  I Samuel 15:22 

But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. ( NIV )

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Definition: 

The act of obeying, or the state of being obedient; compliance with that which is required by authority; subjection to rightful restraint or control. 

http://www.brainyquote.com/words/ob/obedience195278.html
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My Reflections:

Dogs can be trained to obey their handlers - in fact almost all animals are capable of such training. It still amazes me how wild elephants can be tamed and made to perform intricate roles at the circus, or how dogs can be trained to perform services such as guiding the blind through traffic jammed streets! It does appear to me sometimes that it's easy to teach obedience to an animal that it is to train myself into it. Paul tells us in Romans 6:16, that we obey whom we offer ourselves to. If we offer ourselves to God, we will learn to obey Him, otherwise, we will obey the whims of our sinful nature.

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Illustrations:

• On Dec. 4, 1893,  Walter Gowans and Rowland Bingham of Toronto, Canada, and Thomas Kent of  Buffalo, N.Y., landed at Lagos, Nigeria. Their aim was to establish a witness among the 60 million people of what was then commonly known as the Soudan, the area south of the Sahara between the Niger River and the Nile. Gowans and Kent died in the first few months. Bingham returned to Canada, formed a council, and went back to Africa in 1900. That attempt, too, was unsuccessful. In 1901 Bingham sent out a party that succeeded in establishing the Mission's first base, at Patigi, 500 miles up the Niger River. When these first SIM pioneers landed in Nigeria, Gowans was 25 years old, Bingham was two weeks away from his 21st birthday, Kent was 23.

It is not the multitude of hard duties, it is not constraint and contention that advance us in our Christian course. On the contrary, it is the yielding of our wills without restriction and without choice, to tread cheerfully every day in the path in which Providence leads us, to seek nothing, to be discouraged by nothing, to seek out duty in the present moment, to trust all else without reserve to the will and power of God.
Source Unknown.

• Wicked men obey from fear; good men, from love. - Aristotle 

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Resources for further Reading: 

• The Pleasure of God in True Obedience
• The School of Obedience by Andrew Murray 

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Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank you for the lesson on Obedience.  I pray that you may help me to be Obedient to you everyday of my life, to do your Will whatever the cost. This I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.
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