The end of Job is simply stunning. What will God say to his suffering son? How will God answer all of Job’s questions about pain, grief, and loss? How will God convince Job that He is still worth worshiping? The final chapters of the book provide the answers, which are a surprise and comfort to anyone who is suffering in this life.

What strikes most readers of Job is how long the book is. The fairly short introduction and conclusion are dwarfed by dozens of chapters of words—Arguments. Complaints. Accusations. Laments. But perhaps the wordiness is the point. Perhaps Job is structured to prove to us that suffering is a long and challenging journey, even for the faithful, a journey that tests us and forces us to run back to our living Redeemer.

Job’s friends comfort him in his grief…for a while. As time goes on, however, their presence turns sour and an epic argument beings about Job’s life and God’s plans. This message forces us to reflect on what we say (and don’t say) when suffering takes over our story.

Just when Job’s life seemed to be as bad as it could get, Satan struck again, tearing away what little earthly joy Job had left. Even Job’s wife breaks, cursing God and begging for death. Yet, even then, Job clung to his belief in the goodness of God. How can we respond with such trust when it feels like God is kicking us while we are already down?

Job suffers a level of pain and loss that few, if any, of us will ever experience. Yet he responds with nearly unfathomable faith, allowing God to be God, and praising him no matter what blessings are given or taken away. How can we respond with such trust in the face of our darkest moments?

Do you love God or just use him? Satan posed this question about a faithful believer named Job, and God didn’t object to the line of thinking. Our Father longs to be loved, not simply used for a healthy and happy life. Satan’s question is good for us to ponder too. Would we love God if he was all we had? Or would we curse him to his face?

Controlling ourselves when face-to-face with temptation is one of the harder parts of the Christian calling, a challenge so great that Jesus himself taught us to pray about it in the Lord’s Prayer. So, how do we do it? Answer—in a Group. God loves to use the power of other people to help us fight against temptation, a detail that can be seen throughout the proverbs, the wisdom that encourages us both to be self-controlled and to rely on the wisdom of others.

Patience is the ability to endure a painful situation without losing it, a virtue that is vital for the Christian faith. In a world where pain happens, sometimes because of our connection to Jesus, we must learn how to handle our struggles without giving up on our Savior. This is one of the many reasons why we Gather for worship, giving us examples of people who are going through the same situations, yet still praying, singing, and declaring that Jesus is worth it.

If you were unjustly accused of a crime, brutally beaten, and tossed into a prison cell, what would you do? While such things may not happen to you any time soon, you will endure plenty of unexpected losses and deeply felt pains in your life. This is why the story of Paul and Silas in prison is so powerful. These two early Christians faced their suffering with bold, peaceful faith by praying and singing to God. This detail in Acts 16 reminds us of the spiritual power of a Grow Root, that is, having a daily connection with our heavenly Father.

A famous theologian once said that you couldn’t truly enjoy something until you had told others about it, which is why sharing good news blesses both the speaker and the listener. The gospel of Jesus works the same way. Despite all of the challenges and fears, “Going” and talking about Jesus is a gorgeous reminder of every good thing that is ours through faith in Christ.