Blessed: A Study of Job for the Suffering Saint; Session 3: How Should I Respond to Suffering?

H.M. Coker

3 Apr, 2026

Blessed: A Study of Job for the Suffering Saint; Session 3: How Should I Respond to Suffering?

By H. M. Coker

I highly recommend using the printable version of this study, as the formatting is much more user friendly. Click here for the free printable download of Blessed: A Study of Job for the Suffering Saint Session 3.

“As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” James 5:10-11 (ESV)

Session 3, Part 1:

Pray the Word: God of hope, please fill me with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).

Hear the Word: How are you doing?  I am praying for you.  I want to encourage you to take “Session 3” slowly.  Savor the Scriptures.  Pray over them.  Meditate on them.  Take your time, finish the session at your own pace, but see it through to the end.  There is such rich truth at the end of this session, and I don’t want you to miss it.  I love you, and God loves you more.

Over the next two sessions we will be studying Job’s response to his suffering. In this session we will study Job’s response in Job chapter one.  In “Session 4” we will focus on Job’s response in Job chapter two.  Let’s begin by making an outline of Job’s response to his suffering. 

  1. Read Job 1:20-22 and 2:9-10. 
  2. Highlight Job 1:20-22 and 2:9-10 in your Bible (I used a pink highlighter) and write “Job’s response to suffering” in the margin.
  3. I’ve broken this portion of Scripture into sections.  Write a title for each section.  This is our outline for the week. Job 1:20; Job 1:21; Job 1:22a, 2:10b; Job 1:22b; Job 2:9-10a                      

 Apply the Word: Our memory verse this week is Proverbs 3:5-6.  Write it in the space provided.  Then, cover the right half of each line with your hand and see if you can say the passage. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Session 3, Part 2: Worship God

Pray the Word: “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!” (Psalm 95:6). “I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word” (Psalm 138:2).

Hear the Word: Today we will focus on Job 1:20 which says, “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.”

  1. When Job was experiencing the first onslaught of his grief what did he do? (Job 1:20)
  2. If you are comfortable doing word studies, study the word “worship” as used in Job 1:20. Otherwise, let’s look at it briefly together.  “Worship” in Job 1:20 is the Hebrew word “Shachah” (Strong’s #H7812). It means to depress oneself in homage[1].  The Complete Word Study Old Testament by Zodhiates says this, “Shachah was not used in the general sense of worship, but specifically to bow down, to prostrate oneself as an act of respect before a superior being…  In short, it was a way of showing submission.”[2]
  3. Shachah is used throughout the Old Testament but today, let’s look up just four other passages that exemplify the meaning of the word. Look up Psalm 5:7, Psalm 29:2, Psalm 86:9, and Psalm 96:9.

Apply the Word: Psalm 69:29-30 says, “But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high! I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”  Let’s praise the name of God with a song.  During this season, we want to listen to songs that point our eyes to God and lead our hearts into humble submission to him. Here are some songs which have blessed me in my seasons of suffering and which I recommend you add to your playlist, but disclaimer: these artists are in no way affiliated with nor have they endorsed this study. “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” from the Album “Rise and Worship,” Lyrics by Douglas Bond, Music by Gregory Wilbur, Sung by Nathan Clark George. I highly recommend first reading the lyrics of this song and then listening to it. “Blessed Be Your Name,” Lyrics by Beth Redman and Matt Redman, Sung by Tree63.

Session 3, Part 3: Submit to God

Pray the Word: “Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore!  From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!” (Psalm 113:2-3).  “Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion.  Bless the LORD, O my soul!” (Psalm 103:20-22).

Hear the Word: Today we will focus on Job 1:21 in which Job says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

  1. What three truths did Job declare in verse 21? Note: Some of these truths have two parts.
  2. Let’s look at the first truth: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return” (Job 1:21).  Read 1 Timothy 6:7. What did we bring into the world?  What can we take out of the world with us? So, what truth was Job acknowledging by saying “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return” (Job 1:21)?   
  3. Now, look at the second truth: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away” (Job 1:21).  Read the following verses, take notes on what you learn, and then answer the question: 1 Samuel 2:6-8, Ecclesiastes 5:19, Deuteronomy 10:14, Psalm 24:1-2. So, what truth was Job acknowledging by saying, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away” (Job 1:21)? 
  4. Finally, the third truth: “blessed be the name of the LORD.”  The Hebrew word which is translated “blessed” is “barak” (Strong’s H1288).  It means “to kneel.”[3]  It is an act of adoration.  This overlaps with what we studied in “Part 2” because verse twenty tells us Job worshiped and verse twenty-one is demonstrating Job performing that worship by saying, “blessed be the name of the LORD.”  If you need to, go back to “Part 2, Question 2” and read again the definition of “worship”.  Keeping in mind Job’s response to his suffering and what you have learned in Job 1:20-22 regarding “worship” and “blessed,” read each of the following New Testament passages and fill in the chart.
 What are you told to do? What are the results? 
1 Peter 5:6        
Hebrews 12:9        
James 4:6-10        
        
        
            

Apply the Word: To submit to God means to obey him[4].  James 4:8b says, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  In “Part 4” we are going to address sin.  In preparation for this, spend time in prayer to Lord, who is both compassionate and merciful (James 5:11), asking him to reveal any sin of which you need to repent; then act accordingly.  In case you need it, here is the simple verse progression I use when the Holy Spirit has convicted me of sin.  Psalm 51-Romans 7:24-8:1-Psalm 103:1-14

Session 3, Part 4: Do not Sin, But Know That You are Forgiven in Christ

Pray the Word: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life”  (Titus 3:4-7).

Hear the Word: Today we will focus on what Job did not do.  Read Job 1:22 and Job 2:10b.

  1. What did Job not do in the midst of his suffering? (Job 1:22, 2:10b)
  2. Read Job 1:22 and Job 2:10b again.  Did Job regard his suffering as an excuse to sin?
  3. What about the temptations which will arise in trials?  Read James 1:13-15 and write what it says regarding temptation and sin. 
  4. Why is my suffering not an excuse to sin?  Read Romans Chapter 6.  I have included fill-in-the-blanks for key points.   

Romans 6:1b-2 “Are we to continue in _______ that __________may abound? By no means! How can we who _________ to sin still________ in it?”

Romans 6:4b “________ in _____________ of life”

Romans 6:11 “So you also must consider yourselves _______ to sin and __________ to God in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 6:12-14 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not __________________ your members to sin as instruments for _____________________, but _____________ yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for ________________. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under ___________.”

Romans 6:22-23 “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to _______________ and its end, _____________ ________.  For the wages of ______ is __________, but the ________ ________ of God is ____________ ________ in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Apply the Word: Believer, be at peace (John 14:27).  We are not in competition with Job.  After today’s study my first feeling was one of grief compounded because I certainly sinned in my suffering.  “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25a).  No matter what sins you have already committed in response to your suffering, Christ’s righteousness swallows them all.  The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ is for all who believe (Romans 3:22).  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:23-25a). When we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1). “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  If there is something you must repent of, then do so.  Then, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13b-14).  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:4).  You are his own (Philippians 3:12).  Today you have the hard work of repenting of any sins you have committed in your suffering and then the harder work of fleeing condemnation by believing what the Bible says and living accordingly.  I am right here with you, Beloved of God. 

Session 3, Part 5: Trust God

Pray the Word: LORD, you sit enthroned forever; you have established your throne for justice and judge the world with righteousness; you judge the peoples with uprightness.  You are a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:7-9) “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:7-10) We give thanks to you, Oh LORD, for you are good.  Your steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 107:1).

Hear the Word: Job 1:22b tells us that Job did not “charge God with wrong.”  What does it mean to not charge God with wrong? 

  1. If you are comfortable doing Hebrew word studies, then do so for Job 1:22b.  Otherwise, read the passage in several different English translations to see how different translators handled this passage.  I recommend ESV, NASB95, NKJ, and CSB.  Write what you learn in the space provided.
  2. Job suffered deeply.  God allowed that suffering.  Job did not charge God with wrong.  What was God’s heart in the midst of Job’s suffering?  Read James 5:10-11 and write what you learn about God from Job’s suffering.

Apply the Word: Read Psalm 34 and meditate on its words throughout your day. Here are two more songs which I recommend you add to your playlist, but disclaimer: these artists are in no way affiliated with nor have they endorsed this study. “His Glory and My Good,” by CityAlight. “Still, My Soul Be Still,” by Keith and Kristyn Getty.

Session 3, Part 6: Trust God, Continued

Pray the Word: LORD, “be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress” (Psalm 71:3). “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again” (Psalm 71:20).

Hear the Word:  In “Session 2” we learned that God is in control, even in our suffering.  This knowledge should bring confidence and peace to your turmoil– but maybe it didn’t.  If not, then why?  Knowing who is in control will bring you no peace unless you trust the one who is in control.  After my most recent season of suffering, I shared with my spiritual sister, “I never doubted if God was in control, but I worried what he would let happen.”  I was being tempted to doubt God’s heart.  I enjoy memorizing verses as God uses them in my life.  I call these verse progressions my battle plans.  When I encounter a situation or temptation it triggers the first verse in my mind and then the subsequent verses follow like a thread being pulled from a sweater or dominos dropping in a line.  Today I want to share with you one such verse progression. I have provided fill-in-the-blanks for key points, but be sure to read the entire passage.

Note: I use the ESV but have left space for you to write each verse in your translation of choice.

  1. Ephesians 1:11b God works ______things according to _________________________________________
  2. Psalm 119:68a The LORD is ________ and does _____________ (If you have not done my study of Psalm 119, it is a wonderful study for times of affliction.)
  3. Psalm 145:9 and 17 The Lord is ___________ to all, and his __________ is over all that he has made. The LORD is ___________________in _____ his ways and _____________ in all his works.
  4. Nahum 1:7 The Lord is _________, a _________________ in the day of trouble; he knows those who take __________ in him.
  5. Psalm 86:15 God is _________________ and _______________, slow to anger and ____________________ in ______________  _________ and ______________________.
  6. 1 Peter 5:7b He _________ for you.
  7. Romans 8:28-29 For those who love God ______ things work together for ________
  8. Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor.  No _______ thing does he ________________ from those who walk uprightly.
  9. Psalm 139:16 In the LORD’s book were written, every one of them, the ______ that were ____________ for ______, when as yet there was none of them.
  10. Psalm 138:8 The LORD will _________ his __________ for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
  11. Matthew 6:27 And which of you by being ___________ can add a ________________ to his span of life?
  12. Isaiah 41:10 Fear ______, for I am _________ you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will ___________ you, I will _______ you, I will __________ you with my righteous right hand.
  13. Psalm 56:3-4 When I am _________, I put my ________ in _______.   In God, whose word I ________, in God I __________; I shall not be ___________.  What can flesh do to me?

Believer, you are holy, chosen, and dearly loved by God (Colossians 3:12).  I am praying for you now.  God loves you so– so much.   

Apply the Word: Do you remember what Satan said in chapter one? “But stretch out your [God’s] hand and touch all that he [Job] has, and he will curse you to your face.”  So, what is Satan saying? If they aren’t getting what they want, then they won’t trust you. When we suffer, we are fighting a battle to trust the character of God despite our circumstances. What aspect of God’s character have you been tempted to doubt in this season? Maybe it’s his goodness, his sovereignty, his knowledge, his kindness, his rightness, his faithfulness, his presence. Pray about it.  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you exactly what it is. Then find a verse that exemplifies this specific attribute of God, remembering that with the Father of lights there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17b).  You can find verses using a Bible concordance or by asking the counsel of another Christian.  [Preferably ask a believer with a words of knowledge or words of wisdom gift. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.  We were each given different gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4 and Romans 12:6), and they were given to us for the building up of the body (Ephesians 4:12).]  Memorize it or write what you learn (your battle plan) on a note card and read it every time you are tempted to doubt God’s character in the midst of your circumstances.  Believe what you are reading, and act accordingly.

I would love to know you are doing the study!  Send me an email by going to the contact page of www.Surpassing-Worth.com.  If this study has blessed your life, please share it with a friend. 

Copyright © 2026 H. M. Coker

Cover art by K. G. Horsley

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] Daily Bible Apps. “KJV Bible with Strong’s.” Google Play Store, (2022). (accessed on 28 March 2026).

[2] Zodhiates, Spiros. Complete Word Study Old Testament: KJV Edition (AMG Publishers, 1994), 2372.

[3] Daily Bible Apps. “KJV Bible with Strong’s.” Google Play Store, (2022). (accessed on 28 March 2025).

[4] Daily Bible Apps. “KJV Bible with Strong’s.” Google Play Store, (2022). (accessed on 29 March 2025).