The Mystery & Mercy In Our Suffering

The book of Job confronts one of life’s deepest tensions: how do we relate to God when we suffer and don’t know why? Job’s story dismantles our formulas—the idea that if we live righteously, we’ll be spared from hardship. Job loses everything and cries out in confusion and grief. He doesn’t receive the explanation he longs for. But he does encounter something greater: God Himself.

This sermon walked through three lenses—Position, Perspective, and Promise—to explore how suffering challenges us and where true hope is found.

First, Position: suffering reveals our assumptions before God. Like Job, we often believe we’re owed a life free from pain. But Job reminds us that we are not God’s equals. We are dust and breath. Even still, God doesn’t scold Job for his lament; He welcomes it—because true faith wrestles rather than walks away.

Second, Perspective: suffering often feels senseless, but that doesn’t mean it’s purposeless. Job never sees the whole picture, but God reveals His infinite wisdom and care. What we learn from Scripture is that “these light and momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Third, Promise: Job alone cannot answer the problem of pain—but it can prepare us for the One who does. Isaiah 53 shows us Jesus, the innocent sufferer, pierced for our transgressions. Colossians 1 reminds us He now holds all things together—including us. If we read Job without seeing Jesus, we miss the point. Only Christ’s wounds can truly heal us. Only His resurrection can make our suffering temporary.

We may not get answers. But in Christ, we get God. And that is more than enough.