The Problem of Pain II- More from the book of Job

Source: http://www.algonet.se/~tourtel/hovind_seminar/part3a_images/Image81.jpg

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. ~Job 2:10

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; ~Hebrews 5:8

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. ~John 16:33

"Evil is more than an exterior reality that engenders universal suffering; it is an internal reality from which we run." ~Ravi Zacharias from Jesus among other gods

The bible teaches us that as sin entered the world, similtaneously pain and suffering followed suit. As we look within the book of Genesis we see this emerge:
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. ~Genesis 3:16-19

It is the folly of man to immediately blame God for his or her suffering. In the case of Job, his wife, and friends you see the integrity of Job in not cursing or binding God to the blame for his suffering, the foolishness of his wife in blaming God, and the equal foolish talk of his friends in saying Job must have done something wrong. Living in a fallen world we understand whether saint or sinner, that the sun shines on the evil and the good, and that it rains on the just and unjust (That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. ~Matthew 5:45).

Therefore, we understand that man is susceptible to the elements at work in the earth. Tragedy strikes a location and due to our being bound to this earth-realm we as Christians may suffer in such tragedy, we are not exempt. But, the scriptures assure us that we have a Comforter and Christ Himself said that we will have tribulation or trouble, yet assuredly we have overcome the world and the powers that be within it. The last frontier man must battle and win is that of himself wherein the evil truly lies. This whole issue in the book of Job is a test of the integrity of Job's love for God. Is it about the stuff he has, the hedge of protection, and/or the way God makes him feel emotionally? In your pain, true love (agape) is exhibited. The beauty of love in youth in all its strength and appeal to the eyes, emotions, and faculties is miniscule in relation to a love that is tested and found true. Love that has endured the adversity that has been thrown upon it stands the tests of time to prove its worth, beauty, and strength to exhibit itself in any condition. However, man will never know true love or the one that he loves without that same love being put to the test. It is within the framework of love that we begin to understand the integrity of Job's love for God. Not based on emotionalism. Not rooted in materialism. Not garnished with sensationalism. But solely and wholely established, rooted, and propogated through his true love and enduring relationship with the God of heaven and earth, who in his infinite wisdom picked Job from the sons of men to represent to Satan, the essence of true relationship between man and God.