Once I stood on a beach in the middle of the night. I stared out over the darkness with the sound of dark waves crashing over each other. Crying out to God, pleading as Job did in chapter 3. The echoes of pain expressed in words was answered with silence. Only interrupted with the breaking of waters. No reply, no reason, no relief. Dampened eyes yearned for ears to receive a reason, but none came. The passing of time strained out moments and stretched out the anguish. I knew that God knew the whole story and everything beyond it. I knew that God had the power to let His will be done. The question was, did He want to help?
Job was exposed to severe suffering. Seeing the loss of all his wealth, all his children, and then his own health. Then his wife echoed the sentiment of Satan: “curse God and die.” Then his own friends grieved him further with arguments that placed him as the cause of his own suffering. This left him calling out to God, raw and heavy. Job never received an explanation for any of his losses or pain.
In Job 9:33, we see Job calling out that he has no arbitrator between himself and God. As Christians, we now know that Jesus Christ is that Arbitrator — He represents us before the Father (1 Timothy 2:5). We also have the Holy Spirit with us (John 14:16). We can find comfort in this now: that despite our struggles and hardships, God understands our suffering. He is not distant. Job proclaimed in Job 19:25 that he knew his Redeemer lives. Even more, we as Christians know the name of this Redeemer — our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, even when we face troubles — because we will face troubles (John 16:33) — Jesus Christ is aware of it. He is very aware of your troubles. Trust in His character. Trust that He knows the full picture. Trust that if He leaves you in what feels like a stranded pit of lost hope, He will act when the time is right. His purpose will be for good (Romans 8:28). We might not fully understand why we suffer, but we can rest in this — that He does.
We read in John 15:9 that Jesus Christ loved His disciples. We further see in John 17:20-26 that Jesus Christ also loves us who believed because of the witness left to us. So, on the question — does God want to help? — He loves us. We can rest in that. Whatever reason God allowed pain and suffering over my path, it was for a very good reason. Even if I could not see it back then, even if I still cannot see why, I can see Him. So, in the words of Job: “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5). Let us rest in Him and have peace. He knows everything. He has the power, and He will use it. In time, He will bring our suffering to an end. Trust Him.
John 16:33 — “Have peace. In this world you will have troubles. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”