Steadfast in Suffering

“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You also have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:11)

When we consider the idea of suffering, we don’t typically feel blessed. We also might not be feeling like God’s compassion and mercy are the primary attributes being displayed.

In the case of Job, he was facing suffering from Satan with the permission of God (Job 1:6-2:10). Job’s suffering was intense and he didn’t have the same clarity of his circumstances as we the readers do, yet he remained steadfast. He refused to curse God but asserted that God had every right to give and to take away (Job 1:21) and he blessed the Lord. Job suffered greatly, but even when expressing his confusion and anguish over his circumstances, he never resorted to cursing God.

Like Job, we are called to remain steadfast through suffering. That means remaining steadfast in our confidence in God’s character. Trust that God is good and just, trust that he works all things out for good, trust that he will not abandon his children, and trust that his ways are greater than our own.

And why can we trust him? Because he really and truly is compassionate and merciful. In this world, we will have troubles and suffering, but God is greater than this world! Whether our suffering is the consequence of our own sin or a result of living in a world that is broken, God will again show mercy. His compassion is warm towards his children. We can remain steadfast through trials because his mercy has saved us and will not leave us.