Articles . Michael Catt . Volume 04 | Issue 05

Dealing With Suffering, Part 1

Dealing With Suffering, Setbacks, Satanic Attacks And A Sovereign God

Truths we can learn from the book of Job

Ron Dunn said, “Good and evil run on parallel tracks and they normally arrive about the same time.”

Looking back over my ministry, there have been great years and years when I wondered if I would survive.

  • Not A Mid-Life Crisis – But A Mid-Crisis Life – verge of emotional breakdown…
  • Some Of The Best Years Of My Ministry, I Was Dying On The Inside.

Joke – story of the man who was seasick and hanging over the side of the ship – man walked by and said, “Don’t worry, no one has ever died of sea sickness.” Man replied, “It’s the thought of dying that’s keeping me alive.”

All of us are familiar with the story of Job – maybe you’ve preached through it – but have you lived it? Have you found a time when:

  • Forsaken by friends and those you trusted
  • Misunderstood by your family.
  • Seemed as if God had withdrawn Himself from you.
  • When you were rebuked by God for your lack of faith?

Dr. Seuss, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go.
You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high flyers who soar to great heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t
Because sometimes you won’t.
I’m sorry to say, but sadly it’s true
The bang ups and hang ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickl-ly perch
And your gang will fly on, you’ll be left in a lurch.
You’ll come down from the lurch with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a slump.
And when you’re in a slump, you’re not in for much fun
Unslumping yourself is not easily done.”

Whatever we’ve been through – none of us would want to trade places with Job. You know the background. God and Satan were having a discussion one day and God was bragging on Job – Satan throws down a challenge:

  • God is not worthy of man’s worship and loyalty in and of Himself. God has to buy our love.

God Could Not Ignore These Charges – He Uses Job To Illustrate Truth To The Father Of Lies.

Knowing what we know -want to shout out – HANG IN THERE JOB – all going to work out for good….

Satan Is Always In Attack Mode: ‘seeking whom he may devour…’

5x in Isaiah Satan says “I WILL….’

  1. He wants to blind our minds – 2 Cor. 4:4
  2. He seeks to seduce our hearts – 2 Cor. 11:3
  3. He desires to hinder our ministries – 1 Thess. 2:18
  4. He yearns to attack our bodies – Matt. 12:22; Rev. 9:14-19
  5. He strives to attack our faith – Gen. 3:1
  6. He craves the opportunity to tempt our flesh – 1 Cor. 7:5
  7. He enjoys persecuting God’s people – Rev. 2:10
  • It is important that we do not Underestimate Or Overestimate Our Enemy.
  • We are not in a struggle between two equal powers.

Job lost his wealth, children, livestock, fortune, health. His world came crashing in. One day he’s sitting on top of the world, the next day he’s a broken man.

Notice God’s Biography Of Job:

  • HE WAS BLAMELESS – has to do w/ his character/ integrity.
  • HE WAS UPRIGHT – in a sense of walking a straight path. The Narrow gate.
  • HE FEARED GOD – reverence/ respect for God.

When you fear God, you fear nothing else – if you don’t fear God, you fear everything else.

  • HE TURNED AWAY FROM EVIL – walked in purity.

Warren Wiersbe, WHY US? “When we start asking questions like, “Why did God permit Job’s ten innocent children to die in a tornado? we are raising issues that create fog rather than sunshine. We have just as much right to ask, ‘Why were these children born at all if God knew one day they’d be killed in a storm? In Job’s day, 10 healthy children were considered a blessing; but whatever in this life can bless my heart can also break my heart. Job never raised either of these questions.”

C. S. Lewis was asked, “Why do the righteous suffer?” He replied, “Why not? They are the only persons who can handle it.”

Job 1:20 – “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.’ 22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”

©2004 Michael C. Catt. All rights reserved.