Similarly, John’s Jesus heals the blind man and explicitly rejects the idea that suffering is punishment for sin (John 9:1–41, especially 2–5). God actually set limits on what Satan could do to Job. Sin and suffering entered the world through Adam and fractured God’s perfect design. The account of Job shows us that God will not abandon those who suffer for his sake. The Bible affirms that God is sovereign over the storms of this life and that he has good in store for his people in their suffering. God is doing more in your suffering than you can see right now. Job had a “for-realness” about his pain. When we realize Who is in control of our suffering, what He is like, and what His purposes are, we can endure faithfully, giving God glory even in our pain. Likewise, God wants us to have that same “for-realness.” In many ways suffering is a mystery. Job (pronounced "jobe"), was a rich farmer living in the land of Uz, somewhere northeast of Palestine. Framework for understanding God’s sovereignty in our earthly lives comes in the next lines. To deepen the mystery, no matter how you slice it we cannot absolve God of the ultimate responsibility for Job's suffering. The Mystery of God and Suffering 81 on the Mount describes God as showering rain on evil persons as well as good ones (Matthew 5:45). There is a great mystery in the relationship between God’s sovereignty and the existence of evil. God is growing our faith in the midst of our trials. Based on the book of Job, David Platt urges us to respond to suffering by meditating on God’s sovereignty. I take comfort in what Francis Schaeffer told me many times: “We only see the debit side of the ledger now. The Mystery of Suffering and God's Sovereignty Richard P. Belcher, Jr. ... At the heart of the book of Job is a question about the character of God - and about how we should respond to Him. He's drawing us closer and teaching us things about himself. When we realize Who is in control of our suffering, what He is like, and what His purposes are, we can endure faithfully, giving God glory even in our pain. What an atrocious and wrong outcome of Job's obvious devotion to God. In Job 1:11, the Accuser admonishes God and accuses Job of fair-weather faith (“But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”) Here, Satan attacks the character of both God and mankind. In the first round of suffering, God said, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him” (1:12). It is vitally important to understand that even though God ordains and uses suffering, He does not commit sin or evil. Then Satan went out and caused the loss of Job’s possessions and children, but he was not permitted to harm Job … Based on the book of Job, David Platt urges us to respond to suffering by meditating on God’s sovereignty. Enemy rule. 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