Job had lost everything—his children, his livelihood, his health. As if that wasn’t enough, his wife told him to curse God and die, and his so-called friends accused him of hiding secret sins that caused his suffering. Job was not just sad; he was deeply depressed.
When everything falls apart, it’s natural to look for an escape. For many, sleep seems like the only refuge from the pain. Job thought so too. In Job 7:13-14, he said:
“When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions.”
Job longed for rest, but even in sleep, he found no peace. His dreams were filled with fear and dread, and there was no relief for his troubled soul.
If you’ve ever been through great trials, you understand how Job felt. It seemed like the world had turned against him, and worse, it felt as if God had turned a deaf ear to his cries. In Job 30:20, he laments:
“I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.”
What do you do when it feels like God isn’t listening?
Job didn’t understand why he was suffering, but he held on to what he knew. He refused to give up on God. In Job 13:15, he declared:
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”
Even in the darkest moments, Job stayed faithful. He didn’t let his pain push him away from God. Instead, he chose to trust God even when it seemed there was no hope.
If you live long enough, you’ll face times when you don’t know what to do. There will be moments when it feels like the whole world is against you, and even God is silent. In those moments, don’t quit. Don’t give up on God. Just keep doing right for one more day, one more hour, one more minute. Wait on the Lord.
The story of Job doesn’t end in despair. Job 42:10 tells us that God restored Job, giving him twice as much as he had before. But more importantly, Job saw God’s purpose in his suffering. He said in Job 42:5:
“I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”
This verse tells us what Job had realized at the end of his trial. Throughout his life, Job had known about God—he had heard about Him and lived faithfully according to what he understood. However, through his suffering, Job’s relationship with God deepened. The phrase “mine eye seeth thee” doesn’t mean Job literally saw God, but rather that he gained a clearer, more personal understanding of who God is.
This reminds us that trials can deepen our relationship with God, helping us see Him more clearly in our lives and in His purposes for us. It is not just about knowing about God, but truly knowing Him.
The New Testament confirms this truth in James 5:11:
“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.”
When trials come, remember Job’s example. Trust God even when it hurts, and wait on Him to work. You may not see it now, but He has a purpose in your pain, and His mercy will sustain you through it all. Don’t give up—God hasn’t forgotten you.
