Naked I came from my mother,
and naked I will return.
The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away!
May the name of the Lord be praised.
Job 1:21
Nothing happens in your life that God didn’t let happen. It’s true that God only gives good and perfect gifts, but he also lets other things in your life like trials, persecution, and trouble happen for a reason. Job’s life is a good example of this. God didn’t inflict destruction on Job’s life; Satan did, but not without first asking for God’s approval.
When God lets bad things happen in your life you may wonder why he would allow you to be hurt, but the answer can be found in the lives of people who have come before you, like Job. Because of Job’s suffering, you now have an example of how to live in the midst of your trials. You can see from Job’s experience what the answers are when questions on suffering come. You can also see that God is never very far away, and all he wants is your faith in him and your obedience to his Word. As Job obeyed God he got out from under his suffering, and in the end he had more than he could have ever imagined. So even if you have to suffer for a while, think about the fact that much greater and more amazing things will come to you—if not in this life then most certainly in the next—if you are willing to trust him no matter what happens to you here on earth.