The Truest Way to Suffer

In Job 31, he makes his final appeal for justice based on his own habits of personal piety. In verses 1-12 he speaks of his purity in regards to covetousness, sex, and adultery. 

Job 31:1–2 (ESV) “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? 2 What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high? 

In verses 13-23 he speaks of his righteous acts toward the poor. 

Job 31:16 (ESV) “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

In verses 24-28, he talks about his proper attitude toward wealth and possessions.

Job 31:24–25 (ESV) “If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence, 25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had found much...

Finally, in the last part of the chapter, Job discusses his quest for justice.

Job 31:35 (ESV) Oh, that I had one to hear me! (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!) Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!

And then the refrain in Verse 40: “The Words of Job are ended.”

Job was not only aware of what God required but He lived it. He was a righteous man in all his dealings according to his knowledge. And the question he wants to know is, “Why am I suffering as I am?”

This is ultimately where suffering brings all of us. To the place where we desire a hearing with the Almighty. Even those without faith will toss up a hail mary prayer when problems strike. As our world experiences global tensions, many might be at that place right now. 

Then this might be one of the purposes of suffering. To rid and cleanse us of the false and temporal loves this world offers. Suffering separates us from stuff and seeking more here so that we can know what's the word from the heavenly court.

But listen. Job takes it further. Instead of just seeking to know what God has to say about his life and record, Job is willing to bear the scorn of God as he so deserves. Look at verse 35 and following in the New Living Translation:

Job 31:35–37 (NLT) “If only someone would listen to me! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out the charges against me. 36 I would face the accusation proudly. I would wear it like a crown. 37 For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like a prince.

Here's the right way to answer suffering as modeled by Job in this chapter. You don't just want an answer from God as to why, you want God to correct you where needed. In other words, you want to be more righteous in your relationship with Him. 

And yet when we get closer to God, as Job will see, NONE of us have an answer in us. We need a mediator, we need a substitute, we need Jesus. 

The truest way to suffer is to seek God's voice no matter what He may say that would cut us the wrong way, acknowledge our hopeless case, and turn to the One who took our sins away.