Our reading is Job 1:1-3, 6-12. Everyone knows Job’s story – his is a story filled with hardship and suffering. It wasn’t always that way. In the beginning, Job lived the perfect life. Verse three says, “He (Job) was the greatest man among all the people of the East.”  Fearing God and shunning evil, he was a good man who was blameless and flawless. Living with seven sons, he had a prosperous life. His perfect life would have continued except for one imperfect being – Satan. According to verses six through twelve, Job’s perfect life changes in an instant.

According to the text, the angels present themselves to God. In their company is Satan. God questioned his presence and began to dialogue with him. God, who was impressed with Job, asked Satan if he had encountered Job. Satan had, but he was not impressed. He believed Job’s faith was shallow, he only had faith in God because he had a perfect life. It is at this moment that Satan proposes a test. He believes Job will reject God when some hardship enters his life. God does not believe Job’s faith is shallow; God believes his faith his deep. In the face of great hardship and suffering, Job will remain faithful. The book is filled with Job’s hardship and suffering. He loses everything, but he never loses his faith in God. Everyone knows Job’s story because we can relate to him. Job teaches us three divine truths.

First, Job teaches us suffering is a part of life. In my time in the ministry, I took nearly every afternoon to visit. Visitation is important because it is the best way to get to know your people. People need their pastor when life is difficult. Regularly, I went to the hospital. Someone was always facing surgery or recovering from surgery. Sometimes, someone was recovering from an accident or having tests performed. Some were facing a disease, often with no hope of a cure. Often, I would go to nursing homes and I found those visits exhausting. Unable to live at home, men and women lingered in nursing homes where many prayed to die. For them every day was the same – the air was always stale, and the food was always tasteless. I guess the fortunate ones were shut-ins, where many lived alone in isolation. I have no clue how many visits I made in my four decades in the ministry, but each visit reminded me that life is hard. However, none of those individuals denounced the faith, each one longed for me to pray with them. They needed God. Job teaches us that suffering is a part of life.

Second, Job teaches us suffering changes our vision. Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) died on March 14, 2018, a victim of ALS Syndrome, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was an astrophysicist at Cambridge University. Many considered him the most intelligent man in the world. He advanced the general theory of relativity farther than any person since Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Mentally, he was brilliant, his personality could not be suppressed. Hawking once said that before he became ill, he had very little interest in life. He called life a “pointless existence.” He drank too much and wasted time. Then he learned he had ALS syndrome and was not expected to live more than two years. The ultimate effect of that diagnosis, beyond its initial shock, was extremely positive. He claimed to have been happier after he was afflicted by the disease. Hawking said, “When one has nearly everything taken away, one really appreciates everything that one does have.” Suddenly, each small pleasure becomes precious. By contrast, those who believe life owes them a free ride are often discontented with its finest gifts. How much of your life are you taking for granted? In suffering we learn to appreciate life’s simplest things. Job teaches us suffering changes our vision.

Third, Job teaches us suffering enhances our witness. The exact number of Christian martyrs is unknown. According to Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, the number can range from tens of thousands to tens of million. It is estimated half of all Christians martyrs died in the 20^th century under communism, fascist or totalitarian governments. No one can question the faith of anyone who made the ultimate sacrifice for Jesus. Each story is impressive. Let me tell you one.

John (1907-1934) and Betty Stam (1906-1934) met while studying at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. The China Inland Mission accepted them as missionaries in 1932. In 1934, the couple was arrested by the communist government for possessing Bibles and other Christian materials in their home. A short time later, the couple was executed. Their story was covered by many publications. As one account of their lives put it, the Stams’ powerful Christian testimony was carried to the ends of the earth by hundreds of secular newspapers which featured front page stories about the Stams’ faith, dedication and martyrdom. Many unbelievers turned to Christ; many believers were so moved by the Stams’ zeal that they became missionaries themselves. Job teaches us suffering enhances our witness.

In 1962, Victor (1914-1999) and Mildred Goertzel (1904-2000) published a study called Cradles of Eminence. The book was a revealing study of 413 “famous and exceptionally gifted people.” They spent years attempting to understand what produced greatness. Surprisingly, the most outstanding fact was that virtually all of them, 392 of the 413, had to overcome difficult obstacles to become who they were. Maybe we should look at our hardships and suffering as blessings in disguise. What major obstacles have you had to overcome in your life? Helen Keller (1880-1968), who lived her life completely blind and deaf said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”