When Bad Things happen to Good People

Job 2

Context
The second chapter makes little sense without the first - if you are just joining in, it's best to start with the previous post on "The Man from Proverbs."

Listening to the Writer
The heavenly council meets again, and God points out that Job is still blameless. But the adversary continues to push: how will Job react to physical pain? God again gives permission.
Job is no longer the “poster child” for the book of Proverbs. He has lived a virtuous life, and his reward is the death of his children, loss of his wealth, and destruction of his health. His wife says “Curse God and die,” but Job refuses.
Job has three friends who come to comfort him. When they see him, they are so stunned at his suffering that they sit in silence with him for a week.

Listening to God
God again gives permission for the test. When you are going through physical pain, do you view it as a test from God? From Satan? As punishment? Or as a random event, or natural consequences?
I have had friends who have suffered for months and even years from painful and/or debilitating diseases: shingles, cancer, M.S., uncontrolled depression. Have you ever been through long-term intense pain, or known someone who has? How is this different from temporary suffering?
Job says “We should accept evil, as well as good, from God.” Do you think God gives us evil?

Miscellaneous Meanderings
When my depression first came on and I went through the horrible early months without medication, many many people tried to "cure" me - with movies, or food, or chatting. It didn't help. But it was very good to have people who would simply sit with me.
Sometimes we avoid people in pain because “I wouldn’t know what to say.” When you don’t know what to say, you don’t need to say anything. But you do need to be there. In the face of severe loss, the presence of friends, even (or especially) silent friends, is vital.

Dig Deeper at Textweek.