Job was a Man Built for the Storm: The Kind of Man Who Survives Suffering
Every man will face loss. The question is not if the storm comes, but who you are when it does. Because hard times do not create men. They reveal them.
Seven Aspects of a Man Who Can Survive the Storms of Life
- A Man of Personal Integrity- Blameless
- A Man Who Stays on the Path- Upright
- A Man Who Fears God- Vertically anchored.
“The most important thing about a man is what comes into his mind when he thinks about God.” -AW Tozer
“The remarkable thing about fearing God is that, when you fear God, you fear nothing else; whereas, if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” – Oswald Chambers
- A Man Who Turns from Evil- Morally decisive.
- A Man Who Handled Success Without Losing His Soul
Most men don’t collapse in suffering. They collapse in success.
- A Man who leads his Home Spiritually
Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the US Senate, once prayed, “Forgive those of us who give family such a low priority. . . . Help the Senators not to be so busy trying to save the nation that they let their children go to hell.”
- A man who was consistently Faithful
Six Anchors When All Hell Breaks Loose
- Build Your Faith Before the Fire
- Don’t Rush Past the Pain
Chuck Swindoll writes to this very point: “I am disappointed that someone, somewhere, many years ago, introduced the ridiculous idea that if you know the Lord, you don’t grieve. That even if you lose something or someone significant, you shouldn’t weep. With my whole heart, I disagree! Granted, we don’t grieve ‘as those who have no hope.’ But, no tears? No grief? I find that unthinkable. Since when does becoming a Christian make a person less than human . . . or more than human?”
- Choose to Worship Even When It Makes No Sense
The question of the book of Job is not, “Why do the righteous suffer?”
But the question of the book of Job is, “Why do the righteous worship?
How about you? Why do you worship God?
- Maintain an Eternal Perspective
- Recognize God is Sovereign- Even over Evil
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
As Charles Spurgeon once said, “When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head.”
- Guard Your Heart from the Poison of Bitterness
Suffering Will Soften You or Harden You
Discussion Questions:
- Why are the four characteristics of Job listed in Job 1 important for him and for us?
- Who is Satan, and why do you think he appears in the heavenly council?
- How would you describe God’s part and Satan’s part in Job’s suffering?
- What should we learn from Job’s response to his suffering in Job 1–2?
- As a Christian, how should you respond to God when you suffer?