SCRIPTURE: Job 4
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Stop and think! Do the innocent die? When have the upright been destroyed? My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same. [Job 4:7-8]
This is the most commonly felt answer to the question ‘why does God allow suffering’ – those who suffer must have sinned.
“What did I do to deserve this?”; “God must be punishing me for something I did!”; “Live a good life and you will be blessed; live a bad life and you will pay for it.”
The problem with Eliphaz’s ‘theology’ is that it makes God look like an exacting Judge rather than a loving Father.

I like Jesus’ answer to this question so much better.
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.“Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. [John 9:1-3]
Yes, all suffering is directly or indirectly caused by the sinful state of this world, but not all suffering is the direct result of a particular sin.
Yes, at times God may allow us to suffer the consequences of our sinful choices, but not all suffering is because I did something wrong.
As in the case of Job, and in the case of this blind man, it was not because of a particular sin that they were suffering.
In their cases, God was allowing the situation to reveal His power and glory through their situations, in part to strengthen them in their own God-confidence, but also to help others through them.

First and foremost, God is our loving Father in heaven, and we are His beloved children.
This is not an excuse to take sin lightly, rather it prompts us to take it more seriously, not wanting to offend or hurt the God that loves us, the God we love.
Satan does what he can (unfortunately with huge success) to make God look like an exacting, merciless Judge, angry and ready to explode if people step out of line.
Jesus reminds us that God is first of all our loving Father, and that His power is at work in all situations to help us and others come back to Him.

In this broken, messed up world where sin, misery and grief are normal, every day matters, God raises up servants who have endured hardship through his grace that they may help others.
In my experience, the best comforters are those who have been there themselves, who have learned the hard way to rely on God, and are now able to encourage others.
Eliphaz makes the interesting observation that prior to this point, Job was a great comforter to others ; but as he suffers now, he loses his own comfort [Job 4:4-5].
I know that this is something I struggle with; God has used me to comfort others in their times of sorrow, but will I hold that confidence when I experience tragedy myself?

PRAYER:
Lord, I know that I am a sinner, and that my sins contribute to the problem in the world and in my life. But help me to see You not first of all as a cruel Judge, but as a loving Friend that wants to reveal His power in and through me.