Hello friends, 3 days ago I wrote about the suffering of the Righteous and today, I will continue on it and the reasons for the suffering.

Job 2:7-8

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

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Reasons The Righteous Suffer

There are various reasons why God's people suffer:
(1) Like everyone else, God's followers experience suffering as an ongoing result of Adam and Eve's original sin. When they willingly chose to ignore God's guidance through His command, sin entered the world. Along with it came pain, sorrow, conflict and, in the end, death. These things now spread through the lives of all human beings (Ge 3:16-19). Paul explains: "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men because all sinned" (Ro 5:12). In fact, God's Word tells us that the whole created universe groans under the dreadful effects sin have, and it longs for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth (Ro 8:20-23; 2Pe 3:10-13).
Response: We can and must resist sinful attitudes and actions by always relying on God's grace. His help, strength, and comfort can direct our every choice even when there seems to be no hope or answers (1Co 10:13).

(2) Sometimes people suffer as a result of their own actions. The principle that "A man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7) applies in a general sense to everyone. If we drive recklessly, we may get into a serious accident. If we make unwise financial decisions, we may end up in great debt to someone else. God may use such suffering as a means to teach us disciplines so that we may achieve "a harvest of righteousness and peace" (Heb 12:3-11). This does not mean that every bad thing that happens to someone is a direct result of his or her choice. One person's suffering can be the result of other people's choices-like a chain reaction. For example, if someone drinks and drives and is then involved in an accident that causes the death of another person, the person who was killed suffered because of someone else's poor choices. Or officials of an oppressive government may make a decision that denies people's freedoms. Much suffering in the world is as a result of evil or unwise human choices.
Response: We must use wisdom and follow the guidance of God's Word, avoiding anything that could steer us away from God's protective care.

(3) Both Christians and non-Christians will suffer because all live in a sinful and corrupt world. The effects of sin surround us all. Misfortune, personal harm, and disaster were not a part of God's plan at creation. Yet, suffering serves as a sign of warning that something is wrong; it can point people to the fact that all of humankind needs God's help. God's people especially feel a sense of distress and grief as they see the power that evil holds over so many lives (Eze 9:4; Ac 17:16)
Response: We must pray and trust God to provide victory over sin's power over people's lives, allowing Him to use us to influence people for Him.

(4) People suffer as a result of devil's work. His primary targets are God's followers.
(a) Scripture makes it clear that satan, as "the god of this age" (2Co 4:4), exercises considerable control in the world at this time. he cause much trouble for the believer in a variety of ways (1Pe 5:8-9). The story of Job centers around a righteous man who honoured God, yet was allowed to experience intense sufferings from satan (Job 1-2). Jesus testified that one of the women he healed had been crippled and "bound" by satan for eighteen years (Lk 13:11, 16). Paul, who wrote many of the NT books, recognized that his thorn in the flesh (i.e., likely some physical ailment or inconvenience not described in detail) was "a messenger of satan, to torment me" (2Co 12:7). As we engage in spiritual warfare against "the power of the dark world" (Eph 6:12), we will surely experience a strong battle. But for our defense, God has given us spiritual armor (Eph 6:10-18) and spiritual weapons (2Co 10:3-6).
Response: We must put on-and use-the full armor of God, faithfully relying on Him for the strength to be victorious.
(b) Satan and his followers have always ridiculed and persecuted God's people. Those who love Jesus and live by His principles and standards of truth will suffer for their faith. In fact, suffering because of righteousness is often a genuine devotion to Christ (Mt 5:10).
Response: Since all followers of Christ are destined to suffer criticism and opposition because of their commitment to God and His standards, they must be prepared to stand firm and keep trusting Him to set everything right in the end (Mt 5:10-11; 1Co 15:58; 1Pe 2:23).

(5) In a more positive sense, another reason why Christians suffer is that they "have the mind of Christ". To be a Christian not only means following Christ and being like Him; it also means unity with Him. As a result, Christ's followers share in His sufferings (1Pe 2:21). For example, just as Christ agonized over the city of Jerusalem because its people refused to accept His salvation (Luke 19:41), Christians today should have a sense of sorrow over humanity's spiritual lostness. Paul describes his own sufferings for Christ in terms of his concern for the churches he had founded: "Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?" (2Co 11:23-32). This ability to share the feelings and identify with the hurts if those who love and lead should be a natural part of our lives (Ro 12:15). Keep in mind that sharing in Christ's suffering provides an opportunity for us also to share in His glory (Ro 8:17).
Response: We must be grateful that because we suffer for Christ, we will also receive His comfort when we need it (2Co1:5).

(6) God Himself may use suffering in our lives to cause spiritual growth or change. While some people view human suffering as evidence of God's lack of compassion, the test of life really prove that God considers some things more important than comfort. That is to say, there are things that are spiritually beneficial for our lives that can be developed only through suffering and pain.
(a) He often uses suffering to convince his spiritually wayward people to turn from their sins and renew their faith and trust in Him.
Response: We must examine ourselves to see if there is anything in us that displeases the Holy Spirit and then admit to God any sin that we are aware of in our lives.
(b) God sometimes uses suffering to test our faith to see whether or not we will remain faithful to Him. This was the reason he allowed satan to trouble Job. James calls the difficulties we face "the testing of your faith" (Jas 1:3) because through them our faith in Christ becomes stronger and more mature.
Response: We must allow tough times to strengthen our faith, realizing that genuine faith in God will result in "praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1Pe 1:7).
(c) God uses suffering not only to strengthen our faith but also to help us to grow spiritually and develop solid Christian character. according to both Paul and James, God wants us to learn patience through suffering (Ro 5:3-5; Jas 1:3). through suffering, we learn to depend less on ourselves and more on God.
Response: We must be sensitive and open to what God may want us to learn from our suffering.
(d) God may also take us through times of difficulty and pain so that we might be better able to comfort and encourage others when they suffer. in this way, the effectiveness of our ministry deepens and increases (2Co 4:7-12).
Response: We must use our painful experiences to encourage and strengthen others.

(7) Finally, God can and does use the suffering of righteous people to advance the cause of His kingdom and accomplish His purpose to bring people into a relationship with himself.
(a) For example, all the injustice that Joseph experienced as a result of his brothers' jealous actions were part of God's plan. Joseph explains that God was working "to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance" (Ge 45:7). The supreme example of this principle is the suffering of Christ, "the Holy and Righteous One" (ac 3:14), who experienced persecution, agony and death in order to finalize God's plan of salvation. He opened the door for anyone who choose to receive a personal relationship with him. This does not excuse the wickedness of those who crucified Jesus (Ac 2:23), But it does show how God can use righteous people's suffering at the hands of sinful people for His own purposes and His own honor.
Response: Through our sufferings, we must look for ways to communicate Christ's life and love to others, particularly those who may be part of the reason for our suffring.
(b) God often allows suffering to linger with a person to turn that person to Him. For believers and non-believers aliike, troubles reveal human weaknesses.People who realize this can find themselves more open to God's offer of salvation and assistance. They are also more likely to live with gratitude and humility toward God and others. God does not ask us to understand everything, but he does require that we trust Him. in the end, suffering points us to our need for God. It reminds us that the earth is corrupted and that we need Christ to save us from the course of destruction set for it.
Response: In times of suffering-our own or others'-encourage people to look to god for help, relef and peace (Php 4:6-7; 1Pe 5:7).

Thanks for reading. Stay tune for the next part of The Suffering Of The Righteous which is "God's Relationship To His People's Suffering, Growth Through Suffering and Victory over Personal Suffering"

God bless you.
Shalom.

[NIV Study Edition Bible]

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