Desiring Faith in the Midst of Suffering
A Sermon on Job 1 & 2 by Pastor Allan Santos
Watch the sermon here.
Introduction
How do you take the challenges or suffering you are facing today? Most of us know of a person or family/families facing hardship and difficulties in life because of the worldwide pandemic. People are sick, dying, losing their businesses and jobs. Moreover, many people including Christians are experiencing worries, anxiety and mental health issues. These kinds of sufferings sometimes affect our trust and relationship with God. The Bible speaks about Christians who had been through a lot in life and one of them is Job. His commitment and faith in the Lord in times of tragedy and sufferings in his own life is a good example that we all could emulate. May we all witness his response of worship and trust in the Lord in the middle of undesirable circumstances.
Outline
Job’s commitment and faithfulness to God (vv.1-5)
Satan’s dispute about Job’s motivation for being faithful (vv.6-12)
Satan’s strategy to take Job’s property and children (vv.13-19)
Satan’s attack on Job’s health and relationship with his wife (Job 2:1-7)
Job’s faithful response to God despite his sufferings and testings in life (vv.20-22; Job 2:8-10)
Life Application
Job came to know God deeply because of the sufferings and challenging situations that he encountered. Be watchful that our response to trials will not be bitterness in life and towards others. As God’s children, we should allow trials and sufferings to make us a better person who is grounded in God’s power in our lives.
Job displayed his steadfast hope and faith in the Lord when he said, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 2:10). He understood that God has a purpose for everything that He allows us to encounter. May we remind ourselves that God is faithful, loving and sovereign in times of problems, tragedies and sufferings.
