Sermon
Perspective in the Middle of Suffering
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Thank you very much, Ellen. Well, good morning, everyone. As has been mentioned already, my name is Alistair and it is my privilege to be the assistant pastor here at Brunsfield.
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And this morning it is my joy to open up Job chapter two together with you all.
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So please do have that passage open in front of you. We're going to be diving in and out.
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But before we do that, let us turn to our God in prayer. Let's pray.
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Father, when we come to a passage like this, we have so many questions.
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We have so much experience of suffering in our individual lives.
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And Lord, we ask this morning that we would submit to your word.
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And Lord, we echo that song that we have just listened to or sung at home.
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Lord, we need you. This very hour, we need you.
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And Father, we pray that the words of my mouth and that the meditations of all of our hearts would be pleasing to you, our rock and our redeemer.
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Amen.
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In 1967, Johnny Erickson Tada was an athletic 17 year old girl.
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And one day she went out swimming with her sister in a bay and she dove off a raft into shallow water, hitting her head.
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From that moment on, Johnny has been confined to a wheelchair and doesn't have the use of her body from the neck down.
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She says that as she heard that news about her paralysis in her mind, she cried out to God and she said, God, I can't, I won't live like this.
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But knowing that she couldn't physically take her own life, she decided to ruin her life emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
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Telling her family to cut her off, basically, to leave her in a dark room day and night and to never come in and see her.
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She wanted to lie in darkness.
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Her physical suffering had brought her to the end of herself.
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And it was in one of those dark rooms that she cried, God, if you won't let me die, show me how to live.
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And then Christian friends gathered around her and opened the Bible with her.
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And she says that over time she learnt a wonderful truth.
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That sometimes God allows what he hates to happen, like suffering and paralysis.
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To bring forth Christ in her life, the hope of glory.
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Joanie now is a regular speaker about the reality of suffering and the comfort that the gospel can bring to those in pain.
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The hope that people can have as they know that even our suffering is not outwith the control of a good God.
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She says that her suffering, or she sees her suffering, in the perspective of eternity.
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And that's what we're going to be thinking about this morning.
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Perspective in suffering.
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So last week we looked at the absolutely devastating suffering that Job went through.
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As a test to prove the genuineness of his faith.
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Now I'd encourage you, if you haven't listened to that sermon, please go and do that.
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And follow with us through the entire series on the book of Job.
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In Job chapter 1, Job lost all of his worldly possessions.
Job 1 chapter mention
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All ten of his children died.
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All of his servants were killed.
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And yet even after all of that, the chapter ends with that wonderful declaration.
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The Lord gives.
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And the Lord takes away.
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Blessed be the name of the Lord.
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And we must acknowledge that the suffering Job goes through is very extreme.
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It's not the kind of suffering that many of us or any of us will go through.
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I can't imagine a time when any of us will lose our entire families.
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In fact, I pray that that tragedy never happens to any of us.
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But I think probably even more unimaginable than Job's suffering is the perspective he has in the middle of that overwhelming suffering.
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Job's perspective is to praise God in the pain that is his every single day.
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And Job doesn't come to that perspective overnight.
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That perspective is birthed out of years of contemplating who God is.
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And experiencing his gifts and his character.
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Job's perspective comes from a deep conviction of who God is.
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And I can say that as I've sat with many Christians over the years, I have seen this perspective in the flesh.
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In older saints.
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Who've experienced the Lord in marvelous ways.
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Both in times of joy and happiness.
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And in times of agony.
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And turmoil.
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Suffering for the average Christian today could mean the death of a loved one.
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Maybe you lose a parent.
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Or a sibling.
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Maybe in some tragedy a child is taken away from you after a short life.
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Or maybe the child doesn't even survive the full length of the pregnancy.
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Or maybe you lose a job and suddenly, you've been in that job for years and suddenly that financial stability is taken away.
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That assurance of a monthly paycheck is ripped away and you're at a loss.
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Maybe you go to the doctors.
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And you're diagnosed with cancer.
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Maybe you're told you have an incurable illness.
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Or maybe you're told you only have a few months to live.
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Maybe your suffering isn't physical but it is mental.
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And your day and night is plagued with anxiety that cripples you.
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Maybe it's the shadows of depression that plague your life.
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Or maybe you're still feeling the effects of childhood trauma.
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That plague every single day and you never seem to get any relief.
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Everything seems lost.
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Now none of that is the extent of suffering that Job's goes through.
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But it is suffering.
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And it is hard.
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We shouldn't look at Job and think that we need to suck it up because he suffered far worse than we ever will.
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But what we do need to do is look at Job's perspective and try to learn from it.
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And we need to learn from Job's grief.
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See I think our British nature means that many of us have a stiff upper lip approach to suffering.
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We put on a face and we say everything will be fine and we just power through.
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But in reality we all know that that is a superficial mask that covers something far less glamorous.
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The reality is that when we suffer we will cry.
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We will grieve.
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We will mourn.
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And we will feel pain.
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And you know what?
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That is okay.
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We need to learn to grieve like Job.
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There is nothing wrong with crying and showing emotion.
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We need to take off our masks and get vulnerable with each other.
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To create a safe space to suffer well for the glory of God.
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And Job will help us this morning see a healthy way to grieve.
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As well as a good perspective in suffering.
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So if last week in Job chapter 1 all the suffering or suffering was all about things external to Job.
Job 1 chapter mention
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This morning in Job 2 it is all about physical suffering.
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We are going to look at verses 1 to 8 which are about suffering that breaches the skin.
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And then verses 9 to 13 which are all about three perspectives.
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Three responses to suffering in the ashes.
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So the first thing we see in this passage is suffering that breaches the skin.
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In verses 1 to 8.
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Suffering that breaches the skin.
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Now chapter 2 begins in an almost identical way as Job chapter 1 does.
Job 1 chapter mention
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Satan shows up to this heavenly courtroom with God on his throne.
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And God is receiving reports from the supernatural beings through whom he is in absolute control of the goings on in the world.
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But there are two differences here.
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The first is in verse 1 where it says this.
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Read with me.
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Satan also came with them to present himself before him and that is before God.
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So this time it is explicit.
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The Satan, the accuser is there on purpose.
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He is invited as another created being through whom God governs the world.
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Satan is under the control of God.
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And he can only work within the parameters that God allows him to.
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Last week God allowed Satan to touch Job's possessions.
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Things external to himself that were very near and dear to him.
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We don't want to minimize that.
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And all of it was taken away.
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God let that happen in order to test the genuineness of Job's faith.
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The second difference between chapters 1 and 2 is in verse 3.
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Where it says this.
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Then the Lord said to Satan,
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Have you considered my servant Job?
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There is no one on earth like him.
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He is blameless and upright.
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A man who fears God and shuns evil.
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And he still maintains his integrity.
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Though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.
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There is repetition here.
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But there is also a bit of a difference.
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The repetition where God highlights Job as an example of godliness.
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An example of faith.
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Is there to highlight the futility of Satan's attempts to derail Job.
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But the difference is that God says it was all for nothing.
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It's as if God is saying,
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Satan, you did your worst.
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You broke this man's whole life.
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You took everything he had because I let you.
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And still his faith stands.
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At the end of chapter 1,
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you can imagine Satan sitting in the background rubbing his hands in glee.
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Thinking that Job will be destroyed.
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And that he will come to the end of himself.
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Satan wants Job dead and gone because of the genuineness of his faith.
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Satan is the accuser.
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The enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy.
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He is the accuser whose desire is to minimize the glory of God.
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And he wants to make that happen by destroying Job.
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Who is an example of glorifying God in the midst of suffering.
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But in verse 3, God says triumphantly,
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Satan, your efforts were all for nothing.
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Job's faith stands strong.
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But Satan, as the accuser, is at it again in verse 4.
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Do you see?
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Skin for skin, he replied.
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A man will give all he has for his own life,
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but now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones,
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and he will surely curse you to your face.
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Satan is saying that everything that has happened to Job
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is suffering related to things that are external to him.
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But if Job's body is attacked,
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then he will curse God.
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The only thing left is Job's body.
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Satan is covering all the bases in an attempt to bring Job
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to the point where he wants to die.
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Satan wants to rob God of any glory
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that he will get from Job's suffering well.
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When your health goes,
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when your body fails,
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when you are physically suffering,
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when your physical being,
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who we are, is attacked,
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we are vulnerable.
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Physical suffering is so hard
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because you might get to the point
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where you want to tear your body apart.
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The pain can be so overwhelming
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that you're consumed day and night with it,
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and you can't even remember
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what it's like to be pain-free anymore.
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Now maybe you're sitting there thinking,
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well, what is this 29-year-old?
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What does he know about physical suffering?
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Well, eight years ago,
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my journey of physical suffering began.
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Which is why I said last week
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that I have lived in the book of Job.
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For the last eight years,
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I've been suffering from a chronic illness
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that means I suffer constant,
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agonizing pain,
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24-7, 365 days a year.
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There is no pain relief,
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and there is nothing the doctors can do to help me.
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There is no cure.
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So, suffering is not a stranger to me,
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but it is not a friend.
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It is a constant and familiar companion.
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And I say from experience,
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how we respond in those moments of pain
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and suffering is important
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because we can either make it push us towards God
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to live for Him in the midst of that pain,
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or we can make it push us away from God
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and hate Him.
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So, let's see how Job responds to his physical suffering.
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Verse 6.
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God gives Satan permission to afflict Job's body,
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but he must spare Job's life.
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Satan wants to destroy Job,
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but God wants to prove the genuineness of his faith
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through the test of suffering.
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So, friends, Satan is still bound
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under the sovereign rule of God
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and unable to go beyond what God allows.
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And so, verse 7.
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Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
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You see that immediately?
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It's that kind of language.
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And afflicted Job with painful sores
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from the soles of his feet
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to the crown on his head.
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Job's body is covered from head to toe
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with painful, pus-filled oozing sores.
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His skin is discolored, disfigured,
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and peeling off.
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Now sit with him for a second.
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Imagine how he feels with this absolute,
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total, intimate suffering.
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With no respite.
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No medicine.
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No cure.
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And to Job's knowledge,
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no reason.
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Imagine that burning sensation
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that he must be consuming him.
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The pain of not being able to sit
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without touching a sore that will erupt.
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The pain of day and night
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not resting or sleeping
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because of the pain he's in.
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The Lord's faithful servant suffers.
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Once a rich man loved by many,
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now poor, isolated and alone.
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In verse 8,
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Job took a piece of pottery,
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broken pottery,
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and scraped himself
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as he sat among the ashes.
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So Job leaves the town
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and he goes to the dump.
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He goes to the place
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outside the city
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where all the rubbish would be burned
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and he sits in the ashes
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and he mourns.
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He goes into isolation,
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all alone,
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abandoned,
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cut off from his friends,
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all but his wife,
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dead,
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scarred with sores
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that plague him day and night
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and he has no idea why.
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It's so bad that Job
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even takes a piece of pottery
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to take the pus out of these sores
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to at least get a little bit of relief
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if possible.
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It's important to say here
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that he is not self-harming,
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but he's trying to ease the pain
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a little bit.
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So Job is in isolated mourning
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and friends,
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we need to sit with him in that pain
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and realize the devastation
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that he is going through.
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And we need to learn something here
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about mourning.
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We need to know that there is
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absolutely nothing wrong
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with sitting on the ashes
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and weeping the suffering
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that you're going through.
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I know that for some of you,
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this week has been agony.
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It's been a nightmare.
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Things have happened
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that have kept you up at night.
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Doctors appointments
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have left you with decisions
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that you never wanted to make.
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It's been a week of despair.
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Or maybe it wasn't this week,
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but it is a long-term illness.
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Or maybe you're continuing
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to feel the effects
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of some trauma
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from your past friends.
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It is okay to mourn.
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In fact, in the Bible,
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it is expected
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that when suffering
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comes your way,
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you take a seat
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with Job in the ashes
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and you weep.
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In the UK,
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we hide behind
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a stiff upper lip.
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We don't like
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to think of pain
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in our lives
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or our bodies
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because it's hard.
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And we don't like
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to show emotions.
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But that is suppressing
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the very emotions
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that God has gifted us with
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in order to help us
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in the midst
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of our suffering.
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It is okay to grieve.
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It's okay to cry.
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It's okay to mourn.
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And it is okay
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to ask why.
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The book of Psalms
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is full of that kind
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of lament
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and grief.
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So we can go to God
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with our hard questions
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and our physical pain
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and cry out to Him.
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Psalm 13 says,
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How long, O Lord?
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Will you forget me forever?
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How long will you hide
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your face from me?
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Psalm 10.
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Why, O Lord,
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do you stand far away?
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Why do you hide yourself
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in times of trouble?
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And in Psalm 88,
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the psalmist describes
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darkness
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as his closest friend.
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Brothers and sisters in Christ,
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in our pain,
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in our suffering,
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we can and we should
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grieve and mourn.
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When suffering breaches the skin,
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Job sits on the ash heap
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and he mourns.
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And as he sits
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on those ashes,
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mourning his loss,
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mourning his suffering,
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in verses 9 to 13,
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we see three different responses
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to suffering in the ashes.
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Three different responses
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to suffering in the ashes.
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Now there's one bad response
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and two good responses here.
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And I hope that seeing
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these responses
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will help us
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as we suffer,
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but also as we help
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and care for those
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others who suffer.
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So the first response
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is the bad one
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in verse 9
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and it is the response
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of a suffering spouse.
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Read verse 9 with me.
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His wife said to him,
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are you still
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maintaining your integrity?
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Just curse God
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and die.
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I'll take a step back
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from this for a second.
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We cannot be too harsh
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on Job's wife
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because all of the
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suffering that Job
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went through in chapter 1,
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the exact same
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has happened to her.
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And now in addition
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to all of that,
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losing her possessions,
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losing all 10
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of her children,
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she's looking at her husband
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who is a shadow
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of a man he used to be.
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So we can't be too harsh
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on her.
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And we actually
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don't know her intentions
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behind what she says.
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It could be that she thinks
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her husband is dying
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and out of love for him,
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she doesn't want him
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to suffer anymore.
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And so she says,
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just curse God
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and suffer some form
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of divine judgment
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and so it will all be over.
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It could be that she thinks
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Job is suffering
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because of some sin
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in his life
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and she thinks
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that he's under
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the judgment of God.
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And so she says,
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just curse God and die.
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Get it over and done with.
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Or it could be
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that she is angry.
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Angry at the amount
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of pain and suffering
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that is afflicting
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her husband.
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And in her anger,
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she says,
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why are you holding on
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to a God
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who seems to have
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forgotten you?
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Regardless
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of what's going on
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in her mind,
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her conclusion
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is the same.
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She is telling
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her husband
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to give up on God.
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And do you see
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how that is not
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a good or a right
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response when we
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face suffering?
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Job and his wife
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have not seen
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the heavenly courtroom
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which has brought
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about all this suffering.
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They aren't aware
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that all of this
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is a test
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to prove the genuineness
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of Job's faith.
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And Job's wife
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doesn't see
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that all of this
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suffering is under
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the control
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of a sovereign
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good God
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who promises
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to preserve
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Job's life.
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Job's wife
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is acting
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a bit like
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a second Eve.
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Tempting
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her husband
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to sin.
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Tempting him
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to curse
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the very one
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who has given
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them both breath.
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To curse
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the one
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who has blessed
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them abundantly
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in their lives.
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She's tempting
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her husband
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to fall
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into Satan's
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hand
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and do exactly
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what Satan
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wants Job to do.
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Now regardless
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of her intentions
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she is acting
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as a mouthpiece
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for Satan.
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Job's wife
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is tempting
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him to go
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against the God
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he loves
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and the God
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that loves him.
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And this is
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especially hard
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because family
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are supposed
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to stick
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by you
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in your
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moments of
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suffering.
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I could not
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go one day
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without the
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support that
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Sabina and
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my family
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give me.
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Many of you
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have been
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that pillar
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of support
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for others.
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For a spouse
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for a parent
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for a partner
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for a friend
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it is challenging
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to see a loved
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one suffer
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isn't it?
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Because that
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in and of
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itself
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is suffering.
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Seeing a loved
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one suffer
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but it's hard
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because you're
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supporting them
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at the same
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time.
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Job's wife
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doesn't see
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the whole picture
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and friends
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we often won't
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see the big
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picture of
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what's going
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on.
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We probably
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won't know
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the reasons
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behind our
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suffering
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but remember
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that Job
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is here to
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teach us
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how to
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suffer well
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for the
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glory of
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God.
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In our
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suffering we
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should not
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curse God
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but we should
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make our
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suffering push
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us into
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his loving
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arms with
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all of our
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questions
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with all of
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our tears
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and with that
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same resilience
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and faith
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that Job
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has that
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enables him
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to say
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even in
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the darkest
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valley of
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despair
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that the
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Lord gives
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and the
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Lord takes
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away.
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Blessed be
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the name
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of the
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Lord.
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We're
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supposed to
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look at
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Job's wife
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and learn
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not to do
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what she
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does.
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If you're
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a spouse
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a parent
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or whatever
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you also
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have a role
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of glorifying
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God as
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you see
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someone else
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suffering
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and you
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help them
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in that.
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It's hard
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to see a
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loved one
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suffer
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but as
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the
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caregiver
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and supporter
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you must
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maintain your
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faith and
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encourage them
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in their
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suffering to
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do the
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same.
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Whether we're
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the one
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suffering or
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we're supporting
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the sufferer
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we all
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have a role
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to glorify
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God in
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it.
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Cursing
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God should
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never be an
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option for
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us because
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we don't
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know what's
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going on.
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God never
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gives up on
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his people so
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why should
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we give up
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on him?
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God never
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can't
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so this is
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the first
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response the
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bad response
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of a
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suffering
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spouse.
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And then in
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verse 10 we
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get our
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second response
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and it's a
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good one.
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It's the
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response of a
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faithful
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suffering
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servant.
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Read verse
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10 with me.
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This is Job
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responding to
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his wife and
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he says
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you are
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talking like
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a foolish
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woman.
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Shall we
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accept good
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from God
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and not
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trouble?
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And in
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all of this
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Job did
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not sin
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in what
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he said.
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Now Job
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is not
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calling his
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wife stupid.
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We need
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to be clear
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on that.
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And we
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need to
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remember that
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this is part
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of wisdom
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literature.
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And in
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wisdom
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literature the
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wise person
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is one who
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is faithful
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and lives
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according to
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God's word
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and the
-
foolish person
-
who is the
-
person who
-
is not
-
faithful to
-
the Lord
-
and who
-
lives in
-
religious
-
ignorance.
-
An example
-
of this is
-
Psalm 14
-
verse 1
-
where it
-
says the
-
fool says
-
in his
-
heart there
-
is no
-
God.
-
So Job
-
isn't talking
-
about his
-
wife's
-
intellect but
-
about her
-
encouragement for
-
Job to
-
abandon his
-
faith in
-
God.
-
And then we
-
get another
-
amazing statement
-
from a man
-
who is literally
-
sitting in
-
ash in the
-
midst of
-
suffering.
-
He says
-
shall we
-
accept good
-
from God
-
and not
-
trouble?
-
Job's
-
heart and
-
mind are
-
fixed on
-
God.
-
Job
-
recognizes that
-
all the
-
good he has
-
received in
-
life is from
-
God and so
-
he trusts
-
that this
-
same God
-
who is
-
trustworthy
-
and knows
-
best even
-
when harmful
-
things come
-
his way.
-
Job knows
-
that God
-
doesn't owe
-
him anything.
-
God isn't
-
a blessing
-
dispenser who
-
messes up
-
when things
-
go wrong.
-
Job doesn't
-
understand why
-
he is suffering
-
and he never
-
finds out the
-
reason behind
-
it but he
-
finds comfort
-
in the character
-
of the Lord
-
who is afflicting
-
him.
-
Now that
-
is not an
-
easy place
-
to get to
-
when you're
-
suffering but
-
it is a
-
place that
-
we should
-
all be
-
striving
-
towards.
-
Horatio
-
Spafford
-
was a
-
man who
-
sent his
-
wife and
-
four children
-
on a
-
boat from
-
the States
-
to England
-
in 1873
-
and on
-
route the
-
boat collided
-
with another
-
ship and
-
200 people
-
on board
-
drowned
-
including all
-
of Horatio's
-
children.
-
When his
-
wife got to
-
England she
-
sent a
-
telegram which
-
read saved
-
alone.
-
And Horatio
-
jumped on
-
the next
-
boat to
-
England and
-
it stopped
-
where the
-
tragic accident
-
took place.
-
And in
-
that moment
-
Spafford
-
penned
-
these
-
wonderful
-
words.
-
When
-
peace
-
like a
-
river
-
attendeth
-
my way
-
when
-
sorrows
-
like sea
-
billows
-
roll
-
whatever
-
my lot
-
thou
-
hast
-
taught me
-
to say
-
it is
-
well
-
it is
-
well
-
with my
-
soul.
-
Friends we
-
cannot only
-
accept
-
good gifts
-
from God
-
and even
-
when
-
suffering
-
does come
-
our way
-
we must
-
rely on
-
God's
-
good
-
character
-
on God's
-
faithfulness
-
on his
-
holiness
-
and trust
-
that he
-
can use
-
even the
-
most horrific
-
situations
-
for his
-
glory
-
because his
-
glory
-
is far
-
more
-
important
-
than our
-
comfort
-
and than
-
our
-
health.
-
Charles Spurgeon
-
a London
-
minister from
-
years ago
-
who suffered
-
depression for
-
a long time
-
and who went
-
through a
-
tremendous amount
-
of suffering
-
in his life
-
puts it like
-
this
-
I have
-
learned to
-
kiss the
-
waves
-
that throw
-
me up
-
against
-
the rock
-
of ages.
-
Brothers and
-
sisters
-
when you
-
suffer
-
let it be
-
a wave
-
that throws
-
you against
-
the Lord.
-
Let it
-
push you
-
to God
-
because there
-
is no
-
better place
-
for you
-
to rest.
-
There is
-
no better
-
place for
-
you to
-
cry.
-
there is
-
no better
-
place for
-
you to
-
suffer pain
-
than in
-
the hands
-
of a
-
good God
-
who can
-
work all
-
things for
-
your good
-
even when
-
it doesn't
-
feel like
-
it.
-
So that's
-
the response
-
of a
-
faithful
-
suffering
-
servant
-
resilient
-
faith
-
even in
-
the face
-
of devastating
-
suffering.
-
And the
-
final response
-
and the
-
second good
-
one is
-
comforting
-
silence.
-
In verses
-
11 to
-
13.
-
Job's
-
three friends
-
hear about
-
the devastation
-
that has
-
come upon
-
him and
-
in verse
-
11 says
-
they make
-
an appointment
-
to go
-
together
-
to sympathize
-
with him
-
and comfort
-
Job in
-
his suffering.
-
Now at
-
this point
-
Job has
-
been sitting
-
on the
-
ash pile
-
for a
-
few months.
-
He says
-
that in
-
Job chapter
-
7 verse
-
3.
-
So Job
-
has been
-
isolated
-
in agony
-
sitting in
-
pain and
-
suffering for
-
months when
-
they show
-
up.
-
And when
-
they arrive
-
they see him
-
from a
-
distance and
-
they can't
-
recognize him.
-
His appearance
-
is so marred
-
by the tragedies
-
that he isn't
-
recognizable.
-
His suffering
-
has taken
-
such a toll
-
on him that
-
he is not
-
the same
-
man they
-
once knew.
-
his appearance
-
is so
-
changed that
-
when they
-
see him
-
verse 12
-
says this
-
they began
-
to weep
-
aloud and
-
they tore
-
their robes
-
and sprinkled
-
dust on
-
their heads.
-
They're
-
responding as
-
if Job
-
has died
-
because of
-
the suffering
-
he's in.
-
They look
-
at their
-
friends sitting
-
in the ashes
-
and they
-
cannot help
-
but weep
-
with him
-
and mourn.
-
But do you
-
notice they
-
don't do it
-
from a
-
distance?
-
Verse 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.
-
Today this
-
is what
-
Christian
-
community
-
should look
-
like.
-
Romans 15
-
gives us
-
the example
-
of the church
-
being a place
-
where you
-
rejoice with
-
those who
-
rejoice and
-
will you
-
mourn with
-
those who
-
mourn?
-
Like the
-
friends mourn
-
when they
-
see Job
-
as a
-
church we
-
share in
-
each other's
-
sufferings
-
because it
-
is hard to
-
see another
-
member of
-
our local
-
body in
-
pain.
-
This is
-
what the
-
local church
-
should look
-
like.
-
Brothers
-
and sisters
-
sitting
-
alongside
-
each other
-
in the
-
ashes and
-
crying.
-
When
-
someone
-
goes
-
through
-
that
-
amount
-
of
-
suffering
-
sure
-
dropping
-
them a
-
text
-
would be
-
nice.
-
Giving
-
them a
-
call
-
might be
-
a little
-
bit of
-
help for
-
a while.
-
Dropping
-
around a
-
meal is
-
good and
-
a practical
-
thing to
-
do but
-
what will
-
really help
-
someone in
-
their suffering
-
is having a
-
church family
-
and friends
-
who will drop
-
everything and
-
run to the
-
person in
-
need and
-
sit with
-
them out of
-
a genuine
-
love for
-
them and
-
be silent.
-
Because a
-
person who
-
is suffering
-
most they
-
need the
-
presence of
-
faithful
-
friends.
-
Words
-
won't help
-
at first.
-
Out of
-
context Bible
-
verses will
-
not help but
-
getting on your
-
hands and knees
-
and sitting in
-
the dirt and
-
in the ashes
-
with a brother
-
or sister in
-
Christ and
-
weeping with
-
them.
-
That is
-
true comfort
-
that goes
-
beyond words.
-
Being present
-
with those who
-
suffer is far
-
more precious
-
than any
-
worldly wisdom.
-
Sitting silently
-
with someone
-
who suffers
-
is a powerful
-
witness of
-
your love
-
for them.
-
Now Job's
-
friends mess
-
up as the
-
book develops
-
but I think
-
they get it
-
100% right
-
here.
-
They sit
-
with Job.
-
They don't
-
pretend to
-
know what's
-
happening.
-
They don't
-
try to
-
justify the
-
suffering but
-
they are
-
just silent.
-
Friends this
-
is what it
-
looks like to
-
have perspective
-
in suffering.
-
To know
-
that even in
-
the midst of
-
our darkest
-
valleys the
-
Lord is
-
good and
-
trustworthy.
-
Job was a
-
righteous man
-
who suffered
-
not for any
-
sin that he
-
had committed
-
but he is a
-
foreshadow of
-
the righteous
-
man who
-
suffered not
-
for any
-
sin that he
-
committed but
-
Jesus Christ
-
who suffered
-
for your
-
sin and
-
for mine.
-
Job's
-
appearance was
-
so marred by
-
the pain and
-
agony that he
-
went through in
-
absolute isolation.
-
Jesus was
-
beaten,
-
mocked,
-
whipped,
-
his flesh was
-
torn, a crown
-
of thorns was
-
pushed on his
-
head and Isaiah
-
says that his
-
appearance was so
-
disfigured beyond
-
that of any
-
human being
-
and his form
-
marred beyond
-
any human
-
likeness and
-
he was nailed
-
to a cruel
-
cross where
-
he would die
-
alone as his
-
followers ran
-
away in fear.
-
Friends it is
-
that man,
-
the truly
-
righteous one,
-
the perfect
-
suffering servant
-
who went
-
through agony
-
and isolation
-
so that his
-
people, so
-
that the
-
Lord's people
-
could be saved
-
from the
-
ultimate
-
eternal
-
suffering
-
of eternal
-
life in hell
-
under the
-
judgment in
-
God because
-
they have
-
cursed God
-
in their
-
hearts.
-
Job's
-
suffering
-
teaches us
-
how to
-
suffer well
-
for the
-
glory of
-
God.
-
Jesus'
-
suffering is
-
the moment
-
that God
-
himself took
-
on immense
-
suffering in
-
our place
-
and it is
-
Jesus, the
-
perfect suffering
-
servant who
-
draws near in
-
those times of
-
personal suffering
-
and he says
-
I know
-
I'm here.
-
Finish the
-
race well and
-
live for those
-
words that
-
will give you
-
life.
-
Well done
-
good and
-
faithful servant.
-
That's the
-
perspective we
-
need in our
-
suffering.
-
Joni Erickson
-
has been
-
bound to a
-
wheelchair for
-
over 50
-
years.
-
She travels
-
the world
-
encouraging people
-
in the midst
-
of their
-
suffering not
-
by giving
-
them half
-
baked truths
-
or theological
-
sound bites
-
but she
-
sits with
-
them.
-
She listens
-
and she
-
tells people
-
of the
-
great God
-
who even
-
in the midst
-
of turmoil
-
can bring
-
hope beyond
-
words.
-
Joni has
-
learned that
-
sometimes God
-
allows what he
-
hates to
-
happen to
-
bring forth
-
in us
-
Christ the
-
hope of
-
glory.
-
Job got
-
through his
-
suffering
-
because he
-
knew who
-
God was
-
and friends
-
that's how you
-
get through
-
suffering today.
-
That's the
-
perspective you
-
need to see
-
our suffering
-
in light of
-
eternity and
-
in light of
-
the good God
-
that we
-
serve who
-
sent his
-
son so
-
that we
-
could be
-
spared the
-
ultimate
-
suffering of
-
separation
-
from God.
-
Let's pray
-
together.
-
Amen.
-
Amen.
-
Amen.
-
Father I
-
don't know
-
everyone in
-
this room
-
or everyone
-
watching this
-
and what is
-
going on in
-
their lives.
-
I don't know
-
the suffering
-
they are going
-
through but
-
you do.
-
Father would
-
you give
-
them the
-
perspective
-
that they
-
need to
-
not turn
-
their back
-
on you
-
but would
-
you help
-
them run
-
to you in
-
their pain
-
and cling
-
to you for
-
their dear
-
lives.
-
Father would
-
you help
-
us all
-
as we
-
help those
-
who suffer
-
not be
-
the voice
-
of temptation
-
that says
-
curse God
-
but be the
-
voice of
-
encouragement
-
that points
-
people to
-
Christ
-
to the
-
hope of
-
eternity
-
with you
-
and to
-
the wonderful
-
promise of
-
the Lord's
-
presence in
-
our everyday.
-
Help us
-
suffer well
-
for your
-
glory.
-
In Jesus
-
name we
-
pray.
-
Amen.