You may have read the story of a blameless and upright man that existed many centuries ago. (No, I am not referring to Jesus of Nazareth here.) This righteous man was, as some would say, a very blessed person. He was a believer in the Almighty and a seeker of truth, and he was also pleasing to God and just in God's eyes. Nevertheless - and contrary to the notion that only good things happen to good people - he began to experience tremendous misery and hardship. His name was Job.
His life is detailed in the biblical book bearing his name and deals with the mysterious human reality of suffering. In addition to raising the question of why people suffer unjustly in this world, the book of Job attempts to help us understand that all people experience suffering – indeed, neither the innocent nor the just are exempt from it. Certainly, to be human is to be susceptible to periods of adversity in this life.
However, we attain a comforting lesson when we attentively read Job’s story. Even though he suffered with great anguish, the Omnipotent God of all creation never abandoned him. Ultimately, the book disproves the notion that suffering serves no purpose when we patiently reflect on Job’s struggle and relationship with the Lord. In addition, we begin to understand that even though God does not desire to see us in agony, He
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As these rabbis debated about whether God is innocent or guilty, they referenced a number of scriptural passages that relate to the people of ancient Israel and their experience of suffering. Their debate presented clearly the questions that human beings have raised for centuries: “If God is good, why does evil exist?” “Why do good people suffer?” “Why does God allow the suffering that people experience?” “Has God forgotten us?” These are questions that will never disappear and will never grow