Pastor's Musings

Christians like to tell conversion stories. You know, people who didn’t believe in God and then change their minds and become Christians. I’m one of those conversion stories, as is my wife. I think we like these stories because they seem to prove that our beliefs are right. “Finally, that person has come to their senses and come to realise that Christianity is true.”

But there are other conversion stories that we do not particularly like – and there are many of these as well. These are where a Christian decides that they no longer believe in God. Recently, I was reading a blog called “Losing My Religion”, where the author gives a long list of reasons why he has become an atheist after being a Christian for many years.

Now, I won’t go through them all, but let me give you his top five: 

1. God allows horrible atrocities to be committed against innocent people every day 

2. Prayer has absolutely no effect on the world around us 

3. The Bible repeatedly contradicts itself 

4. The Christian church is disjointed and can’t even agree with one another 

5. Church leaders steal, lie and hurt young children 

Basically, all his objections have to do with credibility - the credibility of God, the credibility of the Bible, the credibility of the Church, and the credibility of Christians. I'm not surprised; in fact, I’ve thought of most of them in my own sceptical pilgrimage. 

This is where the book of Job comes in. Job is a book that tries to address this issue of God’s credibility by looking at the suffering of a man named Job. The basic story is that Job is presented as a righteous man who enjoys the blessings of God. He has a family, and wealth, and health, position in society, all these good things. And in one fell swoop all of it is taken away. His family is killed, he loses his health, all of his possessions, and his prestige. However, Job doesn’t lose his faith in God. 

But then three of his ‘friends’ come to visit him. Then they begin to speak, and their speeches are variations on the theme of… “Well, Job, you must have done something terribly wrong for God to punish you like this”. [By the way, this is a terrible way to deal with someone who is suffering – to blame them!]

Job’s friends go on and on with their accusations until Job finally, in disgust, tells them to leave. And then, in one of the most dramatic moments in the whole Bible, he calls on God and accuses him of being unfair for allowing him to suffer so much for no apparent reason. Here he speaks for anyone who has had to go through great suffering (and that, to varying degrees, is all of us). Job challenges God to answer the question, “Why would you allow this? Why have you done this to me?” 

After many chapters of Job questioning God, God finally responds, in four long chapters (by far the longest speech of God in anywhere in the Bible). And this is how he begins… 

“Where were you [Job] when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determines its measurements – surely you know. On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” 

Notice that God doesn’t actually answer any of Job’s objections. Instead, like a good rabbi, he answers Job’s questions with questions of his own. Basically, God is saying to Job, “What do you really know, Job, about any of these things?” Notice also that God’s questions of Job are almost exclusively about the non-human world – the animals and the physical world. So, what’s the point? The point is that there’s no real ‘answer’ to Job for why he is suffering, but rather Job’s suffering is placed within an infinitely greater provision and love by God. God is concerned not only with Job but with every bit of his creation. 

So, what does that mean for us? Well, I may not be able to see how this thing that I’m suffering at the moment has any point, but God can and does in the light of his infinite care of everything that he made. We must be careful not to narrow our focus only on our pain; but instead, open ourselves to ever greater trust in the One who holds all things in his love and provision. 

Furthermore, suffering can sometimes bring about good outcomes that we can learn to see and give thanks for. Take for example what’s going on in the Church in China at the moment. What is interesting is that in spite of what these Christians are suffering in China, millions and millions of people are coming to faith in Jesus. It’s almost as if the suffering itself is helping them see their need for God in their lives, and to believe in his love and providence even in the midst of their persecution. 

This is the point of the story of Job – that God’s answer to the problem of suffering is not merely a thought or an idea; it is rather himself; his personal presence; coming face-to-face with God and learning to trust him. Jesus’ death and resurrection prove that he is trustworthy; and that no matter what we are suffering, that we are ultimately safe with him. In this way we learn the difficult lesson of faith, to have confidence that the God who is the Lord of heaven and earth, who laid down his life for us all, knows what he’s about, and that in the end, all things will work for good to those who love him. 

Blessings, Pastor Mark