I often wonder why bad things happen to good people. How I answer this question often dictates the direction of my spiritual journey. I submit to God’s will, or I rebel.
My older brother was once a healthy and obedient child, but now he is confined to a wheelchair, unable to care for himself. The condition that robbed his vitality has not deprived his mind. I can only imagine the questions that race through his head as he lies immobilized in his bed. Why? Why me? What could I have done differently?
Job asked these same questions as he faced similar sufferings. Job had a blameless and upright nature. He feared God and turned away from evil. Yet he wasn’t immune to suffering. The loss of his family, possessions, and health left him in despair.
We have a natural tendency to question suffering. In Job chapter 38, God answers Job’s questions—and ours—even though we might have difficulty accepting it. God tells Job He is in control and that Job doesn’t need to understand the reasons for his suffering. If Job cannot comprehend the foresight it took to create the earth, then he cannot comprehend the foresight it took to order his life. Although Job doubts God’s providence, he brings these doubts to God in prayer. He refused to curse God for his sufferings and is later rewarded for his faithfulness.
God puts us all through tests of faith. Our job is not to question them but rather to remain faithful and trust in an all-loving and all-powerful God.
Let God stretch your trust level through your trials.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Andrew McNeil graduated from Troy University in 2015. He is currently employed at AAA Cooper Transportation in Dothan, Alabama. He and his wonderful wife, Abby, enjoy traveling and spending time with their fun-loving dog, Sandy.