No answer came, however. This week's lesson looks for answers in the story and prayers of Job. People suffer for many reasons. Much misery comes from our own poor choices, though the cause of some misery isn't our own fault. Even God's forgiveness doesn't necessarily interrupt the chain of consequences that follow as a result of the poor choices we make.
People also suffer indiscriminately from the violence of Satan, the elements, and human nature.
These verses record Job's reaction to his first round of suffering. As Job realized, affliction and loss can deepen our own gratitude to God. Appreciation for the simple blessings may be enriched by the loss of what we often take for granted-ordinary things, such as a cup of water, as British author Somerset Maugham learned. Maugham displayed a cracked clay cup on his mantle, along with far more elaborate objects. When asked about this one misfit, Maugham told how during World War I, on a troop ship crossing the ocean, the crew received one cup of water a day.