Suffering, a lesson from Job

Jim and I attended a conference here in Austin entitled "Job: When the Righteous Suffer." I cannot begin to tell you how this conference and deeper understanding of scripture has changed our lives. How you view suffering affects so many areas of your life. I had no idea! John Piper was the speaker, and this was our first time to hear him in person. What a joy to see his personality come through. We've listened to his audio sermons many times, but it was great in person. I don't like exalting people, so I'll try not to, but I really enjoyed sitting under his teaching and would enjoy having another opportunity. He is a good teacher of scripture and is gifted at ushering his listeners to deeper thoughts without overwhelming them. If you'd like to listen to the conference here's the link: Job conference. I so recommend listening at least to the first session.

After mulling over what we heard at the conference, I was able to put into an email to some friends some of what I've been realizing. I am a little hesitant to put it out there for the world to see, but it's from scripture, so you won't be mad at me, but scripture! (If you get mad at all.) So, if you want to see inside my thoughts, here they are...

One friend shared a scenario from a movie. Here's the picture from Love Comes Softly : At one point, Marty asked Clark how he could trust God when He had allowed terrible tragedies in both of their lives. He said it was like a parent & child walking along together, when the child stumbles and falls, hurting herself. The parent didn't purposefully "allow" or cause the injury, but immediately picks up and comforts the child, and tends to the injury, doing the things that will bring healing.

Here are the thoughts that poured into my mind:
I think we could all benefit by taking the picture a little further. The parent may not "cause" the fall, but the parent may allow the child to walk on unsteady ground knowing that a fall will occur. Falling is good. With no falling, there is no picking up. With no need for picking up, then no need for a parent to be right there with you. This is obviously a flawed scenario, so let me talk without the analogy now. :-)

My mind instantly goes back to Job, since we just attended the conference on Job. Throughout the entire book, Job and even his not so nice friends, never once questioned God's sovereignty. They questioned Job's integrity, but not God's. Either God is sovereign or He's not. That includes sovereignty over suffering. If God is sovereign, then God is the ultimate cause of all things. Not necessarily the secondary or the carrying-out agent, but always the root, because of His sovereignty. Don't delete yet. Keep reading. Job knew this and it brought him comfort. No calamity came upon him except what was in God's purposes. "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him." Job didn't say though Satan slay me, yet will I trust in God. It was assumed/known that nothing happened out of God's control.
Jim has Crohn's disease, which could some day kill him. But what great comfort to my beloved to know that this is God's purpose. That God is using, even purposing to use, Crohn's to make Jim more conformed to the image of Christ, His dear Son. Yes, disease is a product of the fall. Sin is here because of the fall. But the fall didn't have to happen, or did it? God ordained the fall because of a book that exists in heaven before our time began. The name of the book is, "the book of life of the Lamb who was slain (Rev 13:8)." God ordained for Christ to die and resurrect, redeeming a people for Himself before He even created the world! Therefore, sin had to enter the world. Sin and the fall were part of God's plan.
We just have to remember that God ordains, not just approves, everything that happens. He is constantly telling satan, "This far and none further." (adapted from Job 1:12; Job 2:6) Satan is roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8), but he's on a leash. "this far and none further" In Job, we see that God plants the idea of testing Job in satan's mind! Disaster doesn't happen and then God says, "well, I guess I'd better go clean up their mess and make something good out of it. Hmmm, what can I come up with." Sept 11, 2001 was ordained, purposed by God. What?! Tsunami's are purposed by God. What?! Children born into the occult are purposed by God. What?! A man was born blind over two thousand years ago and this was purposed by God. ( John 9:3) Aunt Brenda has dystonia by the purpose of God! We may go to the mission field and be slaughtered by the purpose of God (or we might live!). Dear Friend, you went through some hard things as a child by the purpose of God. Would we love, cherish, and cling to Him had we not been through suffering? Suffering is a blessing. It is refining. It has a purpose, to conform us to the image of Christ. For those whose names are written in the book of the lamb that was slain, suffering conforms us to the image of Christ.
What role does suffering play in non-believers? I'm not exactly sure. I haven't thought deeply much on that side of suffering. I'll have to get back to you. :-) I have thoughts, but currently no scripture to back it up, so I'd better not speak.

I can't express to you the joy that is coming to me in writing this to you! Knowing that suffering has purpose changes your entire mind set. Knowing that Christ suffered for a purpose and that we were that purpose, makes our suffering pale. He suffered even unto death on a cross to redeem a people for Himself. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God (I John 3:1)! Blessed be His name(Job 1:21)!