by Dorcas Kulwa | 20 January 2021 08:46 am01
There are moments in life when you find yourself overwhelmed by situations you cannot explain. You don’t know what wrong you did, yet life hits you hard. All you can do is ask yourself the painful question: “Why me?”
This question has been asked by countless believers throughout history, and one of the greatest examples is Job—a man whose story highlights the mystery of suffering, the sovereignty of God, and the endurance of faith.
Job was described as
“Job 1:1
blameless and upright, one who feared God and shunned evil”
He prayed continually, walked faithfully, and lived generously. Because of this, God blessed him greatly.Yet one day, without warning, his world collapsed.
His livestock and wealth were destroyed (Job 1:13–17).His servants were killed.His ten children died suddenly in a single tragic accident (Job 1:18–19).His health was attacked with painful boils from head to toe (Job 2:7).
He became unrecognizable, sitting on ashes, scraping his wounds—his body wasting away.
In such a moment, who wouldn’t struggle? Who wouldn’t question God?
Even Job’s wife urged him, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9).
But Job refused to sin with his lips, even though his heart was breaking.
Yet deep within, Job still asked what many of us ask:
This question drove him to emotional collapse. He cursed the day of his birth:
Job 3:3–4 (NKJV)
“May the day perish on which I was born…
May that day be darkness;
May God above not seek it…”
He wondered why he hadn’t died at birth, longing for the rest that death seemed to offer (Job 3:11–13).
Job’s emotional suffering mirrors what many believers feel today:When losing parents or childrenWhen losing jobs, homes, or securityWhen enduring cancer, diabetes, HIV, or chronic illnessWhen dealing with disabilities or lifelong hardshipsWhen facing unanswered prayers
People ask:
“Why was I born blind?”
“Why am I disabled?”
“Why this sickness?”
“Why my family?”
“Why me?”
These questions are not sinful—they are deeply human. Even Jesus cried out on the cross,
“Matthew 27:46 NKJV).My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
This shows that God understands the cry of a suffering heart.
After Job’s long wrestle with grief and confusion, God answered—not with explanations, but with questions revealing His infinite power and wisdom.
From Job 38–41, God asked Job over 70 questions, such as:
Job 38:28–33 (ESV)
“Has the rain a father?
Who has begotten the drops of dew?
Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?
Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?”
God was not humiliating Job; He was showing him a profound truth:
Deuteronomy 29:29 (NKJV) says:
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God…”
God reminded Job that:He governs the universe,He controls the seasonsHe commands light, thunder, stars, and oceans.He is never out of control, even when our lives feel chaotic.When Job finally understood this, he responded in humility:
Job 42:3 (NKJV)
“I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
This is the turning point in Job’s story—and in our own.
Scripture reveals multiple reasons believers may suffer:
1 Peter 1:7 (NKJV):
“The genuineness of your faith… though tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory…”
James 1:2–4 (ESV):
“Count it all joy… for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
Jesus said about the man born .blind:
John 9:3 NIV)
“This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
Romans 8:28–29 reminds us that all things—including suffering—work together for good to those who love God.
We may never understand certain hardships on this side of eternity—but heaven will reveal what earth could not.
After Job’s repentance and newfound understanding, God restored him:
Job 42:10 (NKJV)
“The LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends… and gave him twice as much as he had before.”
This doesn’t imply every trial ends with earthly restoration, but it does reveal:God sees your tears,God has not forgotten you,God is not done with your story.God rewards faithfulness
And for believers, the ultimate restoration is not in this life but in eternity:
Revelation 21:4 (NKJV)
“And God will wipe away every tear…
There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying…
for the former things have passed away.”
When life becomes painful and confusing:
Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV):
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17–18.
Hebrews 12:14.
Psalm 34:18:
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted…”
1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV):
“After you have suffered a while… the God of all grace… will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”
You may not have every answer now.
You may not understand the “why.”
But like Job, trust the One who holds the universe—and your life—in His hands.
Shalom.
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