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It is often asked if God is love, merciful, and almighty why He is allowing pain and suffering. The truth is good people and bad people will encounter pain and suffering. Matthew 5:45 “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Many of us have already experienced pain and suffering in our life.

Many prophets suffered and were persecuted, such as Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, and Job.
How to deal with pain and suffering? The answer is “Patience and endurance”. Romans 5:3-5 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

We should learn from the life of Job. When we read the book of Job we divide it into three parts.

1. Job 1-2. Job has no idea about his suffering. But this world is the reality of the physical and spiritual world.
2. Job 3-37. Human reasons. Why are people suffering? They are arguing why Job is suffering.
3. Job 38-39. Divine response. How do we solve the problem of the mystery of suffering? God knows the best? God is sovereign to solve our suffering. Job 33:12 “Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.”
God never explains to Job why he is suffering. God answered Job’s question not by explaining about the devil, the world, and about all those. He simply answered Job’s questions by His presence and by showing Job who He is. And Job discovered and said, Lord you are the all mighty, Lord of Lord, and you know the best. The greatest blessing of Job was the intimacy with God. Job 42:5 “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye seeth thee.” Job obeyed even in the midst of suffering, and he endured and trusts God. He worships God even in pain and Job prays for his other friends. That is true repentance. He surrenders his life to do what God wanted him to do. And God restored, Job’s fortune doubles. Job is indeed a righteous man. Job no doubt took comfort in the Lord’s promise of a peaceful kingdom coming to all who wait on the Lord. Job 19: 25-27  “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”
We have to learn how to cling on to God in the midst of pain and suffering because He is faithful. We have to cling on to His goodness because He is omnipotent and omniscient. God knows everything and God knows the best for us. We may not understand our suffering as Job. But we have to trust and cling on to God because He knows the best for us, He loves us, we have to entrust our whole being to God as Job. James 5:11, You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord’s dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
Psalm 145:18 “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth.”