We live in a time when people long for answers to the dilemmas that are part of life—they want to discover the purpose, understand why it is happening, and hopefully resolve the situation when possible. In their desire for solutions to complex questions of life, some individuals choose to find their answers in religious settings and dogmas, while others turn to the gurus of our day—the self-help experts.

There are countless self-help books on the market. and people hunger for them! That is why there is an ever-revolving door of products and consumers in that industry. While most self-help personalities and books have short-lived success, some have acheived a sense of notoriety and stability over the years.

And the interesting thing to note is the books that seem the longest in such a fickle world are those that deal with the question of suffering. While there are many books on the subject of suffering, a treasured resource for many is

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We live in a time when people long for answers to the dilemmas that are part of life—they want to discover the purpose, understand why it is happening, and hopefully resolve the situation when possible. In their desire for solutions to complex questions of life, some individuals choose to find their answers in religious settings and dogmas, while others turn to the gurus of our day—the self-help experts.

There are countless self-help books on the market. and people hunger for them! That is why there is an ever-revolving door of products and consumers in that industry. While most self-help personalities and books have short-lived success, some have acheived a sense of notoriety and stability over the years.

And the interesting thing to note is the books that seem the longest in such a fickle world are those that deal with the question of suffering. While there are many books on the subject of suffering, a treasured resource for many is Man’s Search for Meaning, written by Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. There is a deep desire to understand the nature of suffering—especially from those who have experienced it themselves.

Quite often when the subject of suffering is raised, a general reference to Job will be made because his name is synonymous with suffering. But the sad reality is that too many times a mere mention of the man’s name is as deep as the discussion goes. Seldom do individuals go beyond the suffering of Job to see the full picture of faith and God’s grace that is present in his personal story.

Many fail to realize that Job is the first book ever written to deal with the topic of suffering and depression. It is the original self-help book, and it was written under the inspiration of the Creator of the universe. This is a book with authority!

It is also too easy at times to forget that Job was a real man and that his tragic and thrilling story really happened. And many people are ignorant of the fact that Job is not a short story in the Bible, but is a detailed and precise book that covers 42 chapters. And if we are not careful in our dialogue about suffering we can overlook the evidence that the Book of Job is not only about Job—it is about God and Satan and the flawed ways in which Job’s peers tried to see things through their own wisdom and understanding.

That is all to say this: The Book of Job is a rich treasure trove of knowledge and theology and experience that can grow us in our faith. It is as relevant today as it was when it was written thousands of years ago. And God must consider this story to be important for the edification of His followers because it is one of the earliest stories recorded in all of Scripture.

So prepare to be challenged and inspired by this marvelous account. For the Book of Job not only speaks of the power of faith, it speaks of the hope of the Redeemer. And it is our hope in Jesus Christ that will allow us to live that will bring glory to God in all seasons of our lives.

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