, then he would not be loyal to God.

God knew how Job would react, though, and He wanted to show other people and Satan the sort of example Job was going to set. Even when Job's wife suggested that he curse God and die, Job refused to denounce God or blame him.

God often uses peop

"You must have done something awful for this to happen to you." Has anyone ever said that to you? Have you said it to yourself?

Job had been through a lot. He'd lost his children, his home, his possessions, and his health. All he had left was his wife, and that was not necessarily a good thing. She wasn't much help to him during his troubles.

Job needed some encouragement. He needed to know somebody cared and sympathized with him. He needed friends.

His friends came to see him, alright. But they didn't provide what he needed. Instead, they told Job that he must have committed some horrible sins and that God was punishing him by sending all these calamities.

Many people think this way. They believe anything bad that happens must be punishment from God. Let's see what God has to say about that.

In Job 1:8, God said there was nobody else on earth like Job. He was "blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil." So why did so much evil befall Job? Because the devil complained to God that the only reason Job was so good was because God had given him so much. Satan thought if everything was taken away from Job, then he would not be loyal to God.

God knew how Job would react, though, and He wanted to show other people and Satan the sort of example Job was going to set. Even when Job's wife suggested that he curse God and die, Job refused to denounce God or blame him.

God often uses peopl

good thing. She wasn't much help to him during his troubles.

Job needed some encouragement. He needed to know somebody cared and sympathized with him. He needed friends.

His friends came to see him, alright. But they didn't provide what he needed. Instead, they told Job that he must have committed some horrible sins and that God was punishing him by sending all these calamities.

Many people think this way. They believe anything bad that happens must be punishment from God. Let's see what God has to say about that.

In Job 1:8, God said there was nobody else on earth like Job. He was "blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil." So why did so much evil befall Job? Because the devil complained to God that the only reason Job was so good was because God had given him so much. Satan thought if everything was taken away from Job, then he would not be loyal to God.

God knew how Job would react, though, and He wanted to show other people and Satan the sort of example Job was going to set. Even when Job's wife suggested that he curse God and die, Job refused to denounce God or blame him.

God often uses peop

he must have committed some horrible sins and that God was punishing him by sending all these calamities.

Many people think this way. They believe anything bad that happens must be punishment from God. Let's see what God has to say about that.

In Job 1:8, God said there was nobody else on earth like Job. He was "blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil." So why did so much evil befall Job? Because the devil complained to God that the only reason Job was so good was because God had given him so much. Satan thought if everything was taken away from Job, then he would not be loyal to God.

God knew how Job would react, though, and He wanted to show other people and Satan the sort of example Job was going to set. Even when Job's wife suggested that he curse God and die, Job refused to denounce God or blame him.

God often uses peop

y else on earth like Job. He was "blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil." So why did so much evil befall Job? Because the devil complained to God that the only reason Job was so good was because God had given him so much. Satan thought if everything was taken away from Job, then he would not be loyal to God.

God knew how Job would react, though, and He wanted to show other people and Satan the sort of example Job was going to set. Even when Job's wife suggested that he curse God and die, Job refused to denounce God or blame him.

God often uses peop

, then he would not be loyal to God.

God knew how Job would react, though, and He wanted to show other people and Satan the sort of example Job was going to set. Even when Job's wife suggested that he curse God and die, Job refused to denounce God or blame him.

God often uses people in difficult circumstances to teach others. (John 9:1-3) Jesus deliberately delayed going to see Lazarus when He'd been told his friend was sick. After Lazarus died, Jesus brought him back to life. Do you think that Jesus planned it that way, so that people could see His power? By allowing Lazarus to die, Jesus was able to teach others and to make it clear to them that He was the Son of God (John 11:15, 42).

There are many examples in the Bible of righteous people suffering through no fault of their own. Abel was killed by his evil brother who was jealous. Joseph was put into prison because of a wicked and deceitful woman, not because he'd done anything wrong. John the Baptist was beheaded, though he was a prophet of God. Jesus said there was no other man like John, but he died because of a woman who sought revenge.

Here's what Peter wrote to New Testament Christians about suffering: "You greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in pr