Adversity and Comfort

The Book of Job teaches many valuable lessons. The lessons were demonstrated when God permitted satan to test Job. God identified Job as “a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:8). Satan claimed Job only revered God because God blessed him. Satan is allowed to take Job’s possessions, kill Job’s children and seriously afflict his body. Despite all this, Job remained faithful, “YEHOVAH gave and YEHOVAH has taken away. Blessed be the name of YEHOVAH” (Job 1:21).

When Job’s wife questions why he did not lash out at God, Job answers, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10) Answering this question is the subject of the rest of the book.

Despite the lies spread by “prosperity gospel” preachers, God never promises us a life without adversity. Quite the opposite is true.

Jesus warned His disciples, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John16:33). Jesus knew that the god of this world would always work against their efforts to make disciples (Matthew 28:19). “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you” (John15:18).

When we profess the truths of God’s word we may be labeled as “phobic” or accused of engaging in “hate speech.” We must always speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), remembering to “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6). Because it is “the kindness of God [that] leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4).

Paul taught that salvation and suffering were both expressions of God’s grace. “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29). “Granted” in the Greek indicates God is extending His grace towards us.

In Acts 5, Peter and other apostles were flogged to get them to stop sharing the Gospel. Their response was joyful, “they went on their way…rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41).

Suffering is a tool to help shape us and mature us. Suffering prepares us for ministry. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Paul calls God the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

A Christian who has experienced loss, struggled with addition, overcome sin, or stood up to persecution has received God’s comfort as they endured their affliction. That person is better able minister God’s comfort to other going through a similar affliction.

Paul reminds us, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Peter affirms God uses suffering to “perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).