Suffering can lead to God

The story of a man named Job could be the only way to understand our sufferings.

He was so good, so perfect, that you realise at once that you are not reading about a real life-person. God destroyed his household and afflicted him with boils all over his body, so that his every moment became physical torture.

Some of us at this point might do as his wife did: urged him to curse God. The truth is that adversity and affliction come upon the righteous as well as the unrighteous. If we do not weep outwardly, we may yet be torn inwardly.

The season of mourning must end lest it become a perpetual winter for our souls. In affliction and distress we can look to ourselves, focus on circumstances, or turn to God. Through faith we can see Gods hand in everything. No diamond or gold has ever been polished without friction. All kinds of trials will come our way, not to destroy us but to prove that our faith is genuine.

Fr Thomas Monikkham of St John Vianney in his lectures once said:All existence is suffering. This is basically from the noble truths of Buddhas enlightenment. At the moment of birth we hear the cry ofa baby;evenat death, pain may be accompanied by cries.

Those who trust the Lord are purified by their trials and gain strength from them. For those whodoubt, trials lead to confusion, depression and destruction.

Our encouragement lies in the words of Thomas More: Earth has no sorrows that heaven cannot heal.

David Msizi Sithole, Durban