Suffering / Job / Revelation 2:10

From Hearing to Seeing: The Story of Job

As we begin, consider the book of Job. The Lord says to Satan, “From where do you come?” That has always been a fascinating passage to me, because Satan responds, “From roaming around the earth and walking around on it”—which is a little bit creepy.

So the Lord says, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is none like him on earth; he is blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” It is very difficult to talk about suffering without at least giving a nod to Job, as we have an entire book in our Bible dedicated to the issue of pain and affliction.

Job 1:7-8 (NASB)

The LORD said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Then Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.’ The LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.’

In Job chapter 1, Satan replies, “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house on every side?” In other words, Job is comfortable. “You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.” Satan is arguing that Job is only upright because he is prosperous and comfortable. His argument is: It’s not that he’s a good dude; it’s just that because You’ve hooked him up, he has no reason to curse You.

Job 1:9-10 (NASB)

Then Satan answered the LORD, ’Does Job fear God for nothing? ’Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

God allows Satan to test Job within specific boundaries. As you know the story, Satan comes after Job and begins to afflict him severely. In the beginning, Job seems to maintain a remarkably good perspective. When difficulty strikes, he expresses the mindset found in chapter 5: “Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.” You look at Job and think, Alright Job, you’re off to a good start, buddy. Hang in there.

Job 5:17-18 (NASB)

’Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. ’For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands [also] heal.

Then comes his wife. She looks at his condition and asks, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” In her mind, he must have done something terrible to bring this upon himself.

Job 2:9 (NASB)

Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!’

His friends arrive with that exact same logic. They say, “Does God pervert justice, or does the Almighty pervert what is right?” Their theology told them that any affliction was direct evidence of hidden sin and immediate divine judgment. It was a faulty assumption, but it was their logic nonetheless.

Job 8:3 (NASB)

’Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?

Job hangs in there through most of the book until chapter 38, when he finally reaches a breaking point and begins questioning God. Questioning God with an arrogant tone is a precarious thing; I don’t recommend it. When Job questions God, the Lord responds with a series of “Where were you?” questions: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who set its measurements, since you know? Who stretched the line on it?”

Job 38:4-5 (NASB)

’Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell [Me], if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?

God reminds Job, Time out for a second, buddy. I understand your frustration, but do not argue with Me about what is right and wrong.

At the end of the book, after everything is said and done, Job comes to a profound conclusion in chapter 42: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You.”

Job 42:5 (NASB)

’I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You;

Job is saying, When this journey began, I knew about You. But after walking through suffering and intense pain—handling it well at times and poorly at others—I have moved from second-hand knowledge to direct sight. There was an intimacy he experienced through suffering that he never would have known otherwise.

The Megaphone of Pain

We are talking about a fundamental paradigm shift: learning to patiently endure suffering with hope, and understanding the role pain plays in our lives.

Think back to the seasons in your life when you grew the most spiritually. When did you learn the deepest truths about yourself, about God, about your family, and about your friends? I venture to guess it was not during seasons of easy celebration, but during seasons of mourning. God uses difficult times to get our attention, causing us to pause, listen, and reflect. In seasons of unbroken comfort, we rarely slow down enough to hear what God has to say, let alone see Him with our own eyes.

C. S. Lewis famously wrote: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Many of you have experienced deep sorrow—grief upon grief. You have walked through the valley of the shadow of death to the point where getting out of bed seemed impossible. You didn’t want to pray, you didn’t want to look at anyone, and you barely wanted to breathe. Yet you saw God carry you through.

God does not originate evil or delight in destruction; suffering enters through the brokenness of sin, human depravity, and the afflictions of a fallen world. But God’s grace is so magnificent that He makes beauty from ashes. He steps into our mourning, takes what was a catastrophe, shines His glory upon it, and redeems it into something beautiful. Like the physical scars on our bodies, our trials become testimonies of what God has brought us through.

Naturally, we pull away from discomfort. We prefer an easy road—give us that hedge of protection, give us prosperity, and keep everyone we love safe. But just as an overprotective parent who insulates a child from every scrape ultimately harms that child’s development, avoiding all discomfort stunts our spiritual maturity. A child often learns not to touch a hot stove only after feeling the heat. Through experience, they learn a lesson deeper than words alone could teach.

The Essential Cup: Suffering in Jesus and the Early Church

Jesus understood the necessity of suffering. He recognized that difficulty was essential to accomplish the Father’s mission.

Matthew 16:21-23 (NASB)

From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘God forbid [it], Lord! This shall never happen to You.’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.’

From that time on, Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him: “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”

Peter saw suffering as an obstacle; Jesus saw it as essential. Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Man’s interest is the hedge of comfort and security. God’s interest is that we grow into all He has designed us to be, which inevitably requires endurance. When the hour of His arrest arrived, Jesus said to Peter, “The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

John 18:11 (NASB)

So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?’

Jesus had prepared the disciples for this reality earlier in His ministry.

John 15:20 (NASB)

’Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

He told them, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” After the crucifixion, the disciples initially defaulted to fear and hiding. But after the resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, a massive paradigm shift occurred.

Acts 1:8 (NASB)

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’

Jesus told them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses.” The Greek word for witness is martus, from which we derive the word martyr. It means to proclaim and testify, even at great personal cost.

In Acts chapter 2, Peter stands boldly before thousands of the very people who had witnessed Christ’s execution, declaring the gospel with uncompromising courage.

Acts 2:36 (NASB)

‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ– this Jesus whom you crucified.’

By Acts chapter 5, Peter and John are arrested, flogged, and commanded never to speak in the name of Jesus again. Look at how they responded upon their release.

Acts 5:41-42 (NASB)

So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for [His] name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus [as] the Christ.

They left the presence of the council rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. They were bloodied and bruised, yet full of joy, because their entire perspective on suffering had transformed. It was no longer something to flee from; it was an honor to endure for Christ.

Walking the Path of Affliction

This pattern continues throughout the New Testament. Stephen is stoned in Acts 7, becoming the first Christian martyr. In Acts 9, when the Lord calls Saul of Tarsus—who would write nearly two-thirds of the New Testament—He says of him:

Acts 9:16 (NASB)

for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.’

“I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” For a follower of Christ, suffering is not an optional elective; it is central to the Christian walk.

On his first missionary journey, Paul was stoned in Lystra and left for dead outside the city. He got up, went to Derbe, and then returned right back to Lystra and Iconium to strengthen the believers.

Acts 14:22 (NASB)

strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and [saying], ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.’

He told them, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Imagine the authority of that message coming from a man whose face was still battered and bruised from being stoned.

Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul reminds them of this fundamental reality.

1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 (NASB)

so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we [kept] telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.

He writes, “So that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction.”

To the Romans, he writes that we are fellow heirs with Christ, “if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

Romans 8:17-18 (NASB)

and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him]. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul gives a window into his own daily endurance.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (NASB)

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; [we are] afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.

He writes, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”

Later in that same letter, he lists his physical credentials as a servant of Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:23-27 (NASB)

Are they servants of Christ?– I speak as if insane– I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine [lashes]. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. [I have been] on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from [my] countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; [I have been] in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

He describes being beaten times without number, receiving thirty-nine lashes five times, being beaten with rods three times, stoned once, shipwrecked three times, facing constant danger from rivers, robbers, countrymen, and the wilderness, along with sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, cold, and exposure.

Yet writing from a Roman prison to the Philippians, he says, “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

Philippians 1:29 (NASB)

For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

History records how the apostles bore witness to this truth. Matthew was slain with a sword in Ethiopia. Mark died after being dragged through the streets. Luke was hanged from an olive tree in Greece. Peter was crucified upside down. James the Greater was beheaded in Jerusalem. James the Less was thrown from the temple pinnacle and beaten to death. Bartholomew was flayed alive. Andrew was crucified and preached from his cross until his final breath. Thomas was pierced with a spear in India. Jude was shot with arrows. Matthias was stoned and beheaded. Barnabas was martyred in Greece. Paul was beheaded under Emperor Nero in Rome.

They were told they would be witnesses, and they bore witness with their very lives.

The Spiritual Danger of Comfort

We live in a culture utterly obsessed with comfort, ease, and self-preservation. Because we avoid pain at all costs, we risk becoming spiritually soft. If suffering is the gym where spiritual endurance and character are built, rejecting all discomfort is like expecting physical fitness without ever working out or feeling the soreness of growth.

A missionary from our church spent time serving in an impoverished village in Africa. The people had very little food, minimal protein, and no modern conveniences, yet their faith was vibrant. When it was time for the missionary to return home, a local woman ran alongside the plane, weeping. The missionary asked her, “Why are you grieving for me? I am going back to plenty of food and modern comfort.” The woman replied, “I am grieving for you because you are returning to a place where it is so difficult to love God because you have so much.”

Comfort can insulate us from our need for God. Suffering strips away the illusions and refines our faith.

Nine Purposes of Suffering in the Believer’s Life

Scripture shows us at least nine distinct purposes that God accomplishes through suffering:

1. God uses suffering to discipline us when we sin.

Hebrews 12:5-6 (NASB)

and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.’

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” As Job noted, God’s correction is meant to turn us back to life.

2. God uses suffering to keep us humble.

2 Corinthians 12:7 (NASB)

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me– to keep me from exalting myself!

Paul spoke of a “thorn in the flesh” given to keep him from exalting himself. Sometimes our past failures, physical ailments, or ongoing limitations serve as continuous reminders that we depend entirely on God’s grace.

3. God uses suffering to develop character.

Romans 5:3-4 (NASB)

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

Paul writes that we “exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.” Discipline yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness in those who are trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11 (NASB)

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

4. God uses suffering to make us effective in ministry.

James 1:2-4 (NASB)

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James tells us to consider it joy when we encounter trials, because the testing of our faith produces endurance, leading to spiritual maturity. God never wastes a sorrow.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NASB)

Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Paul writes that God “comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” If you have walked through addiction, grief, or loss and experienced God’s sustaining grace, you carry a unique credibility to minister to others walking that same road.

5. God uses suffering to authenticate our faith.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NASB)

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Peter explains that trials test the genuineness of our faith, which is more precious than gold refined by fire. Patient endurance during hardship demonstrates the reality of Christ to a watching world.

6. God uses suffering to draw us closer to Jesus.

Philippians 3:8-10 (NASB)

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from [the] Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which [comes] from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

Paul counts everything as loss for the surpassing value of knowing Christ, desiring to know Him “and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.” Suffering produces an intimacy with Christ that unbroken ease can never produce.

7. God uses suffering to demonstrate the power of the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:26 (NASB)

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if [one] member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

When one member suffers, all members suffer with it. We are called to weep with those who weep. A simple meal, a note of encouragement, or quiet presence in the hospital room reminds us that we do not walk alone.

Romans 12:15 (NASB)

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

8. God uses suffering to demonstrate His power.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (NASB)

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came [to us] in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a [peril of] death, and will deliver [us], He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,

Paul writes that his afflictions taught him not to trust in himself, but in God who raises the dead. God continually shows His power by working all things together for good for those who love Him.

Romans 8:28 (NASB)

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose.

9. God uses suffering to prepare us for eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NASB)

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

1 Peter 4:13 (NASB)

but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

A Stronger Back: Leaning into the Discomfort

Suffering is neither something to be blindly sought nor cowardice to be shunned. It will come. When it arrives, we are called to endure it patiently with hope, anchored in the character of a faithful God.

Dr. Rick Taylor on our staff often observes that in the midst of trials, our default prayer is usually, Lord, please lighten my load. But perhaps our prayer should be, Lord, give me a stronger back.

If we pray only for God to remove every burden, we may be asking Him to take away the very instrument He is using to shape our character. What if, instead of asking for an escape, we prayed: Father, I do not have the strength in myself to carry this weight, but You have entrusted it to me. Strengthen my back so that I may endure with faithfulness, honor Your name, and point others to Your grace.

Whether the medical report brings bad news, financial pressures mount, or you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you do not carry the load alone. The gospel assures us that Christ entered our suffering, conquered death, and supplies the strength we need to persevere.

Let’s pray together.

Father in heaven, grant us the grace to endure patiently whatever You have set before us. Deliver us from asking shallow “why” questions, and help us ask “what” questions: What do You want to teach us about Yourself? What do You want to refine in our hearts? How can You use this to minister to others?

Lord, make us men and women of spiritual strength. Do not let us drift into complacency and comfort. When the storms come, give us stronger backs to carry the weight for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.