This post was last updated on September 17, 2026

Day 106 (Year 3)

Two Reasons for Suffering

“So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” (Job 2:7)

“But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.” (1 Peter 4:15)

Job chapter 1 records Satan attacking Job, causing all his children to die and his possessions to be plundered. Yet this misfortune did not cause Job to forsake God. So it is permitted to afflict him with sores over his body. Such suffering is unbearable. Those who have had similar experiences will understand. Satan always uses suffering to attack believers. In his pain, Job faced his friends’ questioning. He deeply reflected and concluded that he had done no wrong, was innocent, and had a clear conscience. He longed to ask God directly about the reason for his suffering. Afterward, God pointed to the greatness of creation to show Job that he could hardly know the reasons for his suffering. The book of Job highlights the importance of enduring and fighting against suffering, reflecting on our faults, correcting wrongs, seeking God’s help, and believing that suffering will eventually pass.

In the second verse, Peter points out that believers must not suffer for our sins. Sometimes, only after a person has made a mistake do they discover a particular area of weakness. For instance, if a person has never undergone extreme poverty, it may be hard to imagine that he or she could be tempted to steal. Or if people have too much free time, they may discover their tendency to meddle in others’ affairs. An even greater temptation is when a person does something wrong and, rather than suffering for it, feels happy, receiving widespread approval rather than criticism. In this situation, it is difficult for that person to wake up to their wrongdoing. Contrarily, suffering for our sins, followed by awakening and repentance, is something many of us go through in breaking free from Satan. We need to consider whether we are being weighed down by our own iniquity, which has led us into hardship or suffering. Indeed, we must first break free from all sin as we turn from Satan’s dominion to God. Only when we deeply reflect on the root causes affecting our words and actions—which may very likely be the wrong influence of others—will we know how to pray for our own problems. Of course, sometimes we suffer both for our own sins and through trials from God. Such a mixed situation is possible. The key is that in suffering, we must keep praying and seek God’s guidance to understand the reasons, so that we know how to pray and how to change ourselves.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel well prepared to face the test of suffering? If not, what preparation do you still need to make?

2) Is it difficult for you to reflect on yourself in suffering and pray to God for guidance? If so, how will you resolve this?