I say to God: Do not declare me guilty, but tell me what charges you have against me. Job 10:2
Job has questions for God.
In the previous chapters, we find that Job’s friends have come visiting. As genuine good friends, they come to spend time with their suffering friend. They sit with him in silence for seven whole days. They then take turns speaking to Job, suggesting their own reasons for the suffering that he is going through. Job replies to each of them.
Now he has turned to God. He is asking some basic questions. Why Lord, is all this happening to me? What have I done? He is simply not able to understand what he has done to go through so much suffering.
In Job’s case, we know that God used the sufferings as a test and as part of His sovereign plan in Job’s life. God blessed Job twice as much as he had before (42:10). But this is a very pertinent question that many of us ask when we go through suffering of different kinds.
Trials often discover sins. Charles Spurgeon says it is true that God does often contend with both saints and sinners to deal with their sin. He also suggests several reasons why we sometimes go through trials. One reason could be to awaken us to our lost condition. Trials could also be to test our earnestness. Or a way to bring to the fore sin which we are unwilling to turn over to the Lord. Trials could be because we have not yet fully understood the plan of salvation.
Could any of these be the reason for the suffering you are going through in your life?
Lord help me learn whatever you are teaching me through the suffering in my life, I pray.
Extended Reading – Job 10-13
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