MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Why do bad things happen to good people? Most preachers have heard and attempted to answer that unanswerable question.
Every weekend for the past three weeks in over 100 worship services in fifteen Metro Manila locations, Victory preachers attempted to answer the “Why Me?” question by studying and teaching the Book of Job. While I am not sure we really answered the “why” question, we did answer the “how” question. (More on that in point 5 below.)
Last Sunday, in the third installment of our “Why Me?” series, Joseph Bonifacio gave as good a non-answer to that question as I have ever heard. (Here’s a link to that sermon.)
I didn’t preach any of the “Why Me?” sermons in our Job series, but I did read the book. Here are seven thoughts from a recent reading of the Book of Job. Maybe my notes will help you get through your “Why Me?” seasons.
1. Bad things happen to seemingly good and innocent people. Four times Job is described by God as “blameless and upright” yet he experienced horrible suffering. Being good and godly does not exempt us from suffering.
2. The devil is real and he comes to “steal, kill, and destroy.” Job 1 makes it clear that all Job’s pain and loss was an act of the devil, not an act of God.
3. People experiencing bad times need good friends. When you have friends who are suffering, try doing what Job’s friends did in Job 2:13 “Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.” Sometimes the best response to a friend in pain is to just be there—and to be silent.
4. Good friends often give bad counsel. Unfortunately, after that week of silence, Job’s friends opened their mouths and stuck both feet in, nasty sandals and all. Most of the Book of Job is chapter after chapter of the worst advice ever given.
5. Some things can’t be explained and some “why” questions can’t be answered. The book of Job never answers the “why” question. But it does paint a good picture of “how”—how to find God in our pain and how to respond to calamity in a way that honors God.
6. We can find God in our pain and loss if we do what Job did when he realized the extent of his loss—“then he fell to the ground in worship. . .” (Job 1:20) Do we only worship God in the good times?
7. In the end, the blessing of God caught up with and overtook Job. Most people don’t press through and read the whole book of Job. But if you endure till the end, you will find that “the Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former.” (Job 42:12) And if we endure past our pain, we will find God in the end.
