In the Middle of Suffering

Why does the book of Job make us wait so long before we hear God speak?

We read chapter after chapter of speeches from Job’s friends.  The “miserable comforters” repeat their talking points to Job with little compassion and abundant arrogance. Their advice is unhelpful and much of their theology is misguided.  And still, they keep talking. 


Even Job’s speeches can be confusing. And long. And repetitive at times. Seriously, how many different ways does Job say he wishes he had never been born?  We find ourselves wanting to skip to the last few chapters when Job finally hears from God.


We also wish we could fast forward through our suffering. God could send us an email to tell us what he wants us to learn. Then we would understand why we are suffering. We could do something to fix it, memorize a few key verses, and go back to living our blessed lives. 


Except — that is exactly what Job’s friends were telling him to do.  


Job endured his friends' dubious counsel for many days and nights.  Abraham looked for the promised heir for decades.  The Israelites waited more than 400 years between the last words from a prophet and the birth of Jesus. And here we are — waiting in the delay between Jesus’ ascension and his return. 


A terminal diagnosis. Wading through broken relationships. Facing another expensive repair bill. We know this isn’t the way things are supposed to be. Because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion, we all experience suffering. We know that some day there will be an end to the brokenness. And yet, as we wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled, the suffering lingers. 
 
The delay is the lesson.


Job needed to wrestle with his questions, his confusion, his pain, and his friends. There was purpose in the process. He needed the waiting. And we do too.


The question is: How are we waiting? 


We can learn from Job as we see how he endured the accusations of his friends and the agony of God’s silence. He lamented, turned to God, and desperately clung to hope. 

Job took time to lament. He did not brush the ashes off his sackcloth, pull himself up by his sandal straps, and say, “Oh well, time to move on.” With undisguised anguish, he asked questions. Job voiced his doubts and his deepest emotions. 

Our omniscient God already knows what we are thinking and feeling, so there is no need to cover or deny what is in our hearts. Maybe we are longing for a relationship that hasn’t started yet. Or we are mourning the loss of the memories we didn’t get to make with someone who has died. We can grieve with raw honesty. God gave us emotions — he doesn’t expect us to be unfeeling stoics that present a strong facade. Lament brings our pain to God while we continue to trust and wait.

Job knew God is sovereign and has control over all that had happened. There were times when he felt as though God was distant and didn’t care what was happening to him. But Job’s words also showed that he knew God isn’t an impersonal dictator (contrary to his friends’ theological talking points). Job never asked for his wealth to be restored, or for his children to be brought back to life. But he continually expressed his desire to experience the intimacy and friendship he had once enjoyed with God. 

Suffering can distort our perspective by making us feel as though God is far away or has abandoned us. As we wait, we wonder if God has forgotten his promises to bless us. It seems like our prayers for unsaved friends and family bounce back to us unheard. We feel like we can’t face another day of unrelenting pain. Rather than allowing our feelings to pull us away from God, we can use these feelings to push us toward God. We know that as believers, we have the constant presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We can pray honestly and admit that God feels distant while we cling to the certain knowledge that he is near. God is here, even in the darkness of waiting. 

Another lesson we learn from Job’s waiting is hope. Job didn’t know about Jesus, the cross, or the resurrection. And yet, in the midst of his lament and pleading for closeness with God, we see glimpses of hope.  Job knows God wouldn’t leave him to suffer meaninglessly. He grasps at the thought that there must be something beyond his current circumstances and the looming prospect of the grave. 

But we know that Job’s hope wasn’t just wishful thinking. We cling to a certain hope. Our hope is so sure, so settled, that it is as if it has already happened! We know that when Christ returns, there will be no more pain, sickness, broken relationships, or suffering. We know that death has lost its sting and we will live forever in resurrected, glorified bodies. We can wait expectantly for that day!


The long chapters of Job teach us how to wait. The next time you read through the book of Job, read all the speeches.  Prayerfully and expectantly look for the lessons that Job learned in his waiting. Linger on the God-breathed words to learn how you can suffer well in the waiting. Discover for yourself the hope that shines through the lament and questions. 

Other places in Scripture also show us that we are not alone in our suffering. Almost 40% of the Psalms are laments in response to suffering. Joseph and Daniel were captives in a foreign land. Hannah and Ruth faced difficult circumstances. 

But only one person was a truly innocent sufferer who endured perfectly. The Son of Man. The God who is near became flesh and lived among us. He suffered with us — and for us (1 Peter 2:21-24). 

Jesus is that hope that Job was looking for. Jesus is our hope also. 

In Him, our waiting is not wasted.

​Also see: Psalm 34: Trusting While Waiting
                  Dear Chronic Condition 

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