Arizona sun., 1947-07-18

ken heart Of men and women comes
the question ''Why?"
We cannot always answer, nor do
we fully know the meaning and pur-
pose. We must often simply put our
selves and our loved ones into the
hands Of God, trusting him to bring
us into assurance and victory.
There are some things we can
know, and they are most helpful.
The book Of Job reveals much con-
corning the background Of suffering
and its uses and advantages. 1t is
not all loss and pain. God does not
forget his people in their hour OF
trial.
Job had suffered the loss Of prop
erty, family, and was now person
ally afflicted by sickness Of his
body. His friends who came to COM
fort him had added to his troubles
by their pious platitudes about suf-
fering being the result Of sin (cf.
John 9:3), and so on.
There was enough truth in what
they said to make it hurt, and so we
are doubly glad we are given look
behind the scenes. We learn that
this was not struggle between God
and Job, nor even between Satan
and Job. We see
I. The Battle Between God and
Satan (Job 1:8.
y FAD the entire story here and
AN you will see that Satan, when
faced by God with the godly ex-
ample Of Jobs life, threw down a
challenge. He declared that the only
reason Job loved God was because
he received so much good out Of it,
because God protected him.
The issue was clearly drawn;
the question was whether God
was able to keep a man in the
midst of trial and suffering. Was
His grace sufficient for the dark
hours of life as well as the happy
and bright ones?
Having stripped Job of all his pos
sessions, and left him childless and
heart broken, Satan had to admit
failure up to that point. But he
sneeringly slandered both Job and
God by saying that Job was not con-
cerned about these other things so
long as his own body was unharmed
GA, 50.
So the Lord permitted him to
aff1ict Jobs body. and we see the
conflict raging in
III. The Battleground-the Life Of
Job (2:7-10; 19:7-1O.
THE mystery of Gods permis-
l. sive will enters into the pic
ture here, and we learn too that
Satan, while mighty being, has
limits to his power. God may give
him liberty to test his people, but
it is never with the thought that
they will fall; rather to prove that
they can stand true come what
may.
Was any mortal ever more af-
flicted than Job? We find him finally
an outcast, sitting on an ash heap,
scraping the awful sores upon his
poor body.
Job did have his times of ques-
tioning and doubt (19:7-10). He felt
at times that God had forsaken him.
He misunderstood the providences
of God. But through it all he held on
to his faith in God. He could do
without his possessions Q:2D. God
could even take his life and he
would say, Though he slay me, yet
will I trust him." He saw beyond
the grave, for he knew that if his
body were destroyed he would still
see his Redeemer.
What more sublime expression Of
faith could man make than to say
in his hour of seeming despair, IT
know that my Redeemer liveth."
How did it all come out in the
end? That is our last point.
III. The OutcOme-VictOry for
God in Job (42:1-5; James SID.
FOB had to come to the end Of
y himself. Judging himself to be
unworthy (42:6), he repented of all
his own self-righteouSness and cast
himself upon the mercy of God. God
then vindicated him and restored
him to place Of blessing and USE
fulness.
The answer then to our problem
is this-GOd is able to keep to the
uttermOst those who put their
trust in him Heb. 7:25) through
the grace he gives. Suffering may
be in his permissive will for our
own self-judgment and growth in
grace. But back of it all is the
assurance that God knows about
it, he has not turned away; that
in due season, If we faint not, we
shall see victory.
Ultimately, the question is not
whether we can stand or not, but
whether God is able to keep us in
the midst of the onslaught of the
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