Have you ever questioned God? When something terrible happens to us, we may wonder if we can ask God hard questions. The short answer is, yes. But we also don’t want to cross into sinfully accusing God. We must ask, Is my question a real question or an accusation? Has God already given me an answer that I just don’t like, or am I genuinely confused about what He is doing?

The first chapter of Job is a case study in tragedy. Job had lost everything: children, wealth, property, status. Yet, Job was known to be a man of God, blameless and upright (Job 1:1). The question is one we all face, why do bad things happen to people who love and follow God?

Job was experiencing unbelievable suffering. But his first step took him to the feet of God. In an attitude of worship, Job reminded himself of two things he knew to be true: people arrived into the world without anything, and they leave without anything (v. 21). Furthermore, God can give blessings and take them away: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (v. 21).

Note that Job did not accuse God of maliciousness. However, he did express anger at God. He did not withdraw from God because he lost trust in Him. Instead, he took a step closer to the One who controls all things. In this, Job showed us how to suffer. There is little value in charging God with wrongdoing when we face difficulty. Like Job, we don’t have all the facts (Job 42:1–3). However, we should lament to the One who holds the answers, the One who controls all things.