Peace...

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." Psalm 34:19

WHY?

That is one question many people ask GOD- "why this, why that?" "I do this for you, I do that for you, GOD, why am I still suffering, still broke... still this, still that"

Today I hope I can give you some answers. I don't have all answers though, but I hope you can find some gems in this pile of rocks.

The book of Job seems to hold authority on this topic. Let's start with the story of Job.

Scene ONE - "Prosperous Job"
Job was a righteous man, by all observable standards. He feared his God, He respected men, prayed for his family, didn't neglect his friends and a host of other things.
And to add to all this, He was very wealthy, the wealthiest in the region. He was also generous and full of wisdom.

Scene TWO - "The discussion"
One fine day, when the sons of God were fellowshipping, The Devil tagged along for whatever reason... that's not important. Here is the interesting part, from what that scripture tells us, GOD actually took the initiative to discuss Job with the Devil, it was almost as if HE was bragging about Job's righteousness. The Devil immediately took up the conversation, he asked if Job feared God for nothing. he literally accused God for Job fearing HIM... funny right?
As if that wasn't enough He went on to ask that God remove his protection from Job and see if Job won't spit on God's face. But that wasn't the most outrageous part, the shocking thing was that God actually agreed.
*mic drops* Are you kidding me? I mean this is a guy you were just praising and commending, and you just betray him that easily? one word... CALLOUS
But let's continue the story.
As you might expect, The Devil was elated. Whatsoever it was that brought him to God's presence in the first place didn't matter anymore. He hurriedly left to devise and execute the what I call...

Scene THREE "The Trial of Job"
It was so rapid. So devastating. So... Unexpected.
Mr. Job lost everything in literally one day by the most outrageous means possible!
Fire from heaven, earthquakes, Raiders etc. He lost all his children in one morning.
He lost all his workers, his businesses, his assets, you name it.
Like that wasn't enough to break him, He was afflicted by a very terrible skin disease. And to crown it all, his wife of many years probably had doubts about his fidelity. She was certain that he was a dead man, and advised him to curse God and die. Job's friends who would have hitherto staked their lives on his righteousness and faultlessness, were now blaming Job for his suffering. they were convinced that it was Job's sinfulness that caused his downfall.
You can imagine the weight Mr. Job was bearing. No one to comfort him, no one to empathize or sympathize with him.
All the people he had ever helped avoided him like a plague - partially due to his skin problem... but still!
In all this, The Devil didn't touch Job's life because GOD, denied him access.
Job was destitute. After listening to the false comfort of his friends. He could take it anymore, In his distress, He turned to the GOD he served, and did the expected... He questioned God!
God on the other hand did the unexpected, He questioned Job back!

This must have been a very sad and confusing plot twist for Mr. Job.

Scene FOUR "The restoration"
GOD and Job verbally sparred with each other for a long while.
Along the line, Job finally acknowledged and realized what was going on. He reconciled with GOD, prayed and sacrificed for his friends. Then GOD, seeing Job's change of heart and having satisfied the Devil's doubts, restored Job.
GOD didn't just give him back what he lost.
No, GOD gave him double.
He later fathered more children, Daughters in fact. - The BIBLE says they were the most beautiful in the region. This is a man that was literally covered in sores from head to toe... being the Father of the most beautiful daughters! Let that irony sink in.
If he was valued at 700 million before his trial, GOD restored him incrementally and made him to be valued at 1.4 billion! That was just for reference anyway, the important thing is that He did not give up on GOD, He didn't take his life, He didn't curse GOD. Above all, though he stumbled, he returned to GOD.

I don't know how you guys understand what transpired, but that looked alot like a set up to me.
No, I don't mean that Job was set up, The Devil was set up - instead of him doing what he ordinarily would have done, which is to destroy, he was used to build up.
This story shows us a glimpse of how GOD operates. GOD uses a lot of things to test a man - Temptations, Sin, Negative circumstances, even Blessings.
GOD tested Job with blessings and He passed, with Temptations - He passed again, and then with negative circumstances.
The essence of it all, was to bless Job more and above all, glorify HIMSELF.
The level of your commitment to GOD goes a long way to determine how much GOD will bless you.
Let me quickly give a run down of some reasons GOD allows negative circumstances -

- To Glorify Himself: When men see the of GOD'S restoration of HIS people the natural reaction is to awed by GOD.

- To test his people: To show them their stand, GOD already knows, but unless He tests you, you will not know if you are indeed serving HIM.

- To bless his people: Already self explained

- To Guage The level of trust His people have in him: Just like there are varing scores in an examination, there are carrying scores when GOD tests a man. Again, GOD doesn't need this, it serves as a proof to the tested.

- To punish the Wicked: Many times allows the wicked to continue in their wicked oppression of the righteous because their "cups are not yet full".

- A reward for sin: This is one of the most popularly accepted reason for oppression or hardship, as it is the most logical when you sin, you get punished. it is as sure as death.

- To Justify his people

- To Prove his word: No matter how much you read the the WORD OF GOD, how GOD delivers his people, unless you experience what IT says in your life on a personal level, there is a certain level your faith can't exceed.

- To Fulfill his word: This mostly applies in "prophecy words". God honors his word more than his name. if He has said it, you can bet your life that it will be accomplished.

- To Prove HIS might

- To Silence the Devil.

- To Teach and Perfect his people; Hebrews 4:8

Shalom...