When Trouble Comes

When life begins to tumble in, when trouble comes, when there seems to be a new crisis every day and when it appears all our dreams are being shattered, what can we do? Is there anyone we can turn to for help? Is there any word of encouragement or advice?

The answer to all of these questions is a resounding yes! We can turn to God through His Son Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19). We can also find in God’s Word the advice and encouragement we need. One book was written especially to deal with the problem of human suffering, that being the book of Job.

Job was faithful to the Lord when he lost his possessions and even his children. He remained stedfast when his friends criticized him and even when his wife said to him, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die” (Job 2:9).

The book of James presents Job as an example of endurance for all who are suffering to consider. “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:10-11). Earlier in his book, James encourages his brethren to, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4 – NASV).

Job surely must have been as Moses who looked to the eternal reward rather than just the immediate problems in his life (Hebrews 11:24-26). It paid off for we read, “So Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:12). Job would have triumphed even if he had not been blessed in this life.

May we all remember the “endurance of Job” if we are ever tempted to give up when trouble comes (James 5:11 – NASV).