We have all faced devastation at some point in our lives; it is in those difficult seasons we often ask ourselves if God is enough. Can God be trusted in our troubles?

This is what Job learned in his suffering. God allowed the devil to bring hardship on Job because the devil didn’t think Job could love God just for who He is.

Yet, in Job 13:15, Job says, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” The Book of Job shows us that God Himself is not only necessary, but He is enough.

First, we can trust God even when we’re submerged in suffering.
Job’s troubles began with the seemingly instant loss of his livestock—his financial security. While Job was still reeling over the news, a second messenger informed him that he’d lost his ten children. His body was infected with a horrible disease, and as a result, his reputation was tarnished. But in the midst of this overwhelming devastation, Job continued to praise God.

Adrian Rogers says, “You can have faith and calamity all at the same time. Faith is not receiving from God what we want; faith is accepting from God what He gives.”

We can also trust God when we are forsaken by our friends.
Job 19:14 says, “My relatives have failed, and my close friends have forgotten me.” Job’s friends were perplexed by his hardships; because they didn’t understand, they assumed he was at fault and left him. Being abandoned by friends is one of the deepest hurts we could face. God understands every part of us and promises He will not leave us.

Third, we can trust God when we are dismayed by darkness.
Job had no idea what was happening to him, or why. When we find ourselves in this kind of complete darkness, we should remember to lean upon God, the guiding light of our soul’s darkest hours.

As Job pleaded his case to God, God reminded him of His sovereignty, sufficiency, and sympathy. Job learned that in his suffering, abandonment, and dismay, God was nearest to Him. God was necessary to live through the trial; He was enough to get Him through it.

Apply it to your life
Are you experiencing suffering, abandonment, or dismay? Remember that God is with you. He is sovereign, sufficient, and sympathetic. Pray today that He would reveal His presence to you.

Yeah, there’s gonna come a time when all your theology go upside down. There’s gonna come a time when you won’t understand where God is, you’re gonna be in such darkness, you won’t see your hand in front of your face. Can you trust God when you’re submerged in sorrow? Can you trust God when you’re forsaken by friends? Mhm. Can you trust God when you are dismayed by darkness? Adrian Rogers was a motivator, an encourager and a leader of the faith who presented a clear invitation to follow jesus at every opportunity. He was also passionate about presenting scriptural application to everyday life circumstances. And you’ll see that in this series of messages that were calling how to weather the storms of life. Have your bible ready and join us for this study from God’s word. Before we begin, remember you can follow along with pastor Rogers outline notes, transcript and other resources related to today’s message all at L WF dot org. Now, let’s join Adrian Rogers. Take your bibles, find the book of job. You’ll find job just before the book of psalms and turn to the 13th chapter of the book of job. And we’re gonna look at one verse and then many other verses in the book. But this is the verse that sets the tone for what I have to say today. You know, all of us have trouble. Most of us think we have more trouble than we really have. And most of us think we’re having more trouble than other people are having. But few if any, perhaps none have ever had the trouble that a man named Job had. And in the midst of his troubles. His sorrows, his difficulties, his perplexities, his heart Brokenness, his consternation, his ba wilderness. He makes one incredible statement. And here it is job chapter 13 and verse 15. Job says concerning Jehovah. Though he slay me though he slay me. Yeah, well, I trust him. Now, tired of the messages. Can God be trusted in your troubles? All of us know that God is necessary. We know we could not exist without him. I hope you know that, But that’s not really the greatest question. Not only is God necessary. The great question is is God enough? And we all know that God brings blessings, but we have to admit also that God allows troubles. Now can God be trusted with our troubles? You know what the devil thinks the devil thinks that anybody who serves God without some ulterior motive Is a fool. Just go back to the first part of this chapter of this book. Go back to job chapter one. And look if you will, in the first three verses, there was a man in the Land of Us whose name was joe, that man was perfect, upright, one that feared God and a suit that means in turn from evil And they were born under him, seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was 7000 sheep and 3000 camels and 500 yoke of Oxen, 500, she asked us in a very great household. So that this man. Here’s a big statement. This man was the greatest of all the men of the east. Now he was the picture spiritually. He was great man, financially. He was a great man domestically. He was a great man. But the devil is suspicious of the motives of job. The devil says, well, now wait a minute. The only reason that Job serves God is God has been so good to him. God has bribed him and God has bought him off Skip on down to verse six. And you’ll see this now. There was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and watch this and satan came also among them. Did you know that Satan is called in the bible? The accuser of the brethren. And so uh the angelic creatures are coming to present themselves and along comes satan. And the Lord said unto satan. And by the way, the word satan means adversary whence comes thou. Then satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it. And by the way he’s still doing that today, isn’t he? And the Lord said it to safety, Hast thou considered my servant job that there’s none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man and one that feared God and Stuart evil. Now watch verse nine then satan answered the Lord. And said, Does Job fear God for not. That is God. Isn’t there some ulterior motive that he serves you, Then verse 10. Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that. He hath on every side uh has blessed the work of his hands and his substance has increased in the land. Now, here’s the challenge that Satan throws into the face of God concerning Job. But put forth thine hand now and touch all that he has. And he will curse thee to thy face. God, he doesn’t really love you. He doesn’t really care about you. He’s not really trusting you. You’ve just bought him off you, bribed him. He doesn’t even know what trouble is. You put a hedge around him. I know there’s a hedge around him because I’ve been trying to get through that hedge. And you won’t let Satan says, you just let me at him. Let me give him some industrial strength problems. Let me hurt him. Let me put him into darkness. Let me cause him loss and suffering and pain. God, I’ll tell you how much he loves you. He’ll spit in your face. He will curse you to your face and notice verse 12. And the Lord said unto satan, behold all that he hath is in thy power only upon himself. Put not forth thine hand. So satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. Now, satan, we’re going to see is going to cause incredible trouble for this man joe. And finally, after all of this trouble Job says though he slay me though he slay me yet will I trust him now? The devil said God, he loves you because he loves you. Because because you’ve been good to him, because you’ve given him riches. Because you’ve given to him Children, because you put a hedge around him. You see the devil, he’s full of that kind of a lie that no one can simply love God because he loves God. And so the Book of Job, he’s going to show that God in himself, not only is necessary, but God himself is enough that we can love God and trust God. Even in the midst of our problems now, here are three questions that I want to ask you. And if you can, if you can answer yes to those questions, you have the same kind of faith that old Job had question number one, Can God be trusted when you are submerged in suffering. Can God be trusted when you are submerged in suffering. Now, remember what Job said though he slay me yet will I trust him. Job suffered incredible loss. Beginning about in verse 13 when chapter one, there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in there, eldest brother’s house and there came a messenger Under Job saying the oxen were plowing in the asses, feeding beside them and the serbians fell upon them and took them away. Yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword and I only am escaped alone to tell thee that is first of all, Job had lost his finances. He had all of these things, his, his, his animals, his flocks and herds. He was a, he was a rancher and in one fell swoop, they were all taken away and then right on the heel of that, not only the loss of finances, he lost his family. Look if you will in verse 18 of Chapter one and you’re going to see what else happened and when he was yet speaking there came also another and said thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house. And behold, there came a great win from the wilderness and smoke the four corners of the house and it fell upon the young men and they are dead and I only am escaped alone to tell them a great tornado like that from the hand of satan hit the home where jobs kids were and they were, they were blown into eternity. I mean the entire house fell in upon jobs family. Now, he, he just lost his finances and then right on the back of it back to back, he now loses not only his, his fortune, he loses his family, but the devil is not finished with him yet. Uh he’s going to also lose his fitness, he’s going to lose his health. Go to chapter two. And look if you will in verse four, And satan, answered the Lord and said, skin for skin, Yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life? But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh. And he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto satan behold he is in thine hand, but save his life. And and now Job is covered from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet, with great huge ulcers and boils that are wracked his body with fever and pain. His body is consumed with infection. He has lost, he has lost his fortune, he has lost his family. Now. He has lost his fitness. And the devil’s not finished with him yet. Uh now he has three friends who come uh his comforters to speak with him and to try to give him comfort some comforters they are. I want you to hear what one of them said. You might look in chapter four and verse seven. And this was a man named Edith as and he says, remember, I pray thee, whoever perished being innocent are, where were the righteous cut off? That is joe, you old rascal! What have you been doing wrong? Nobody ever suffered like this. Who was innocent righteous. People have never had God turn their back on them. Old job has a secret sense if old job had been doing right, none of this would have happened. You see what he lost, he lost his fortune, he lost his family, he lost his fitness and now he loses his face. What I mean is this that even his reputation and all of us are grateful for our reputation. What if your reputation were taken away from you? What if what if you’ve done nothing wrong? And everybody thought you did? Lot of people are criticizing you and blaming you. You see, there are a lot of people who have that philosophy today. There there there’s some of the people who will get on television, I call them the Joy boys. They get on television and they have this message. If you get right with God, uh, you’re gonna be healthy, you’re going to be wealthy. It’s is cash, comfort Cadillacs Key to four knocks, you’ll have it all just by the way, send me a little money. Send me a little money. But you have it all. There’s a lot of that going on. Have you, have you noticed that you notice that the idea of the philosophy is that the only reason you suffer is that you’ve done wrong, You can just get right and believe God and have anything you want. There’s just one thing wrong with that philosophy? It ain’t so think so. Some of God’s choices of ST have suffered. What am I what am I trying to say? I’m just simply saying folks that that you can have faith and calamity all at the same time, faith does not mean that you are going to escape. Always, Faith is not receiving from God what you want. Faith is accepting from God what he gives. Now the question, the question again is this, can you trust God when you are submerged in suffering? There’s some who are listening to me through television. Perhaps you’re so sick and shut in that you can’t even get out of the house. And the only way that you can worship is through television. Can you say with job today though he slay me yet will I trust him? If you can. If you can, you will shut the devil’s mouth. Now, here’s the second question. First question is, Can God be trusted when I am submerged in suffering? Or when you are submerged in suffering? Here’s the second question, Can God be trusted when you are forsaken by friends? When you’re forsaken by friends. Now, it it’s one thing to be submerged in suffering. But what about when we suffer? And there’s nobody there with us to suffer with us. There’s nobody there who really cares. As I say job had three friends. three comforters. But what kind of comforters were they ultimately we’re gonna see all they did was to come and and give platitudes and to critique him and criticize him. They weren’t really friends at all? Turn to Job. Chapter 19 go back to the book of Job and turn to Job. Chapter 19. And look what poor Job had to say. In verse 14, Job said, my kins folk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. Can you trust God when you’re forsaken of friends? My kins folk have failed, and my familiar friends have have forgotten me. And then, looking job 19 verse 19, all my inward friends abhorred me, and they whom I loved are turned against me. Am I talking to somebody who’s going through that right now? Has your husband forsaken? You? Have your Children abandon you? Has a friend that you’ve trusted turned on you. Perhaps a business associate. The devil says, yes, let that happen to him, God! He’ll curse you to your face. But that wasn’t true for Job. I thank God for friends. Friends are wonderful. But what happens when your friends don’t understand now? The question is this when everybody else turns their back on you? When nobody understands when friends forsake you not only are you suffering, but you may be suffering alone. Can you trust God? If you can you shut the devil’s mouth? If you can you shut the devil’s mouth! If you will say, though he slay me Yes, well, I trust him now. Here’s the third question. First question, Can you trust God when you’re submerged in suffering. Second question, Can you trust God when you’re forsaken bye friends. 3rd question is perhaps even harder Can you trust God? When you are dismayed by Darkness? When you are dismayed by darkness? Now, remember you understand why all of this was happening? I mean, you’ve read the first chapter of the Book of Job and you understand there’s a contest here and Satan has slandered the character of God and Satan has slandered the character of Job. And you understand that God is allowing Job to be tested not to show that job would fall, but to show that Job would not you understand that? But Job didn’t understand that joe had not read the Book of Job. He did not understand all of this. He is in absolute darkness. He hasn’t got a clue as to what is happening to him. Tell me why as a pastor, I’ve been asked that question so many times. Why Pastor? Why? Why? And I can’t answer the question. Why? Because why is God’s question? How is our question? How are we going to react? God doesn’t tell us the wise. You’re gonna find that many of God’s saints have gone into darkness. I mean, deep darkness and they’ve not known why putting your margin Isaiah 50 turned to Isaiah 50 turn to it. If you’re in darkness right now. If you’re saying God, you owe me some answers Turnly Isaiah chapter 50 Isaiah asked a great question here in Isaiah chapter 50, verses 10 and 11, who is among you that fear the Lord? Well, that’s good, isn’t it? To fear God? Yes, and obey the voice of his servant. That’s good, isn’t it? To obey God? But now watch the next thing that walks in darkness. Wait a minute. That doesn’t seem to fit a person who fears God and obeys God. And yet he’s walking in darkness and have no light, not even a little. But what does God say to do? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God. You know what it means to lean upon God? A stay is a staff, His rod and his staff. He’s talking about leaning upon God. What do you do when you’re in darkness? Look in verse 11, behold ye that kindle a fire that compacts, compacts yourselves about with sparks. Walk in the light of the fire and in the sparks that you’ve kindled this year, you have in mind hand, you should lie down in sorrow. What’s he saying when your darkness don’t light your own fire, don’t light your own fire. You can be serving God fearing God, obeying God. And darkness can come. Now, what is darkness? Darkness is merely the absence of light? The only way there can be darkness is for the light to be withdrawn. Who is the light? God God is the light. And so sometimes God may just back off and leave his serving in darkness. Do you know what you do then? Isaiah said, Just stay upon your God trust Russia, though he slay me yet. Will I trust? Can you trust God when you’re submerged in sorrow? Can you trust God when you’re forsaken by friends? Can you trust God when you are dismayed by darkness and you don’t even know what’s happening? Perhaps if you knew why you were suffering and why you were forsaken, then perhaps you could you could you could deal with. Well, if you can you shut the devil’s mouth. Let me just draw this to a conclusion. God finally does answer Job At least he speaks to Joe. But he didn’t answer one of jobs questions. Go to chapter 38 and look at it. Uh He’s gonna teach job three things, first of all, he’s gonna teach job about his own sovereignty. Chapter 38 verses one through seven. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, who is this? That darkens counsel by words without knowledge. Job! You’re just talking. You don’t even know what you’re saying! Gird up now, thy loins like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me. Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding who hath laid the measures thereof. If thou knowest and who had stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations there of fastened or who laid the cornerstone there. Of when the morning stars sang together. And all the sons of God shouted for joy. Job Sit down. I want to ask you some questions, son. Mhm joe Were you here when I made everything joe when I created this universe? When I flung this world out into space when I fashioned it all. Were you there? Do you understand job? Well, friend. The scientists today with their Hubble telescope is still trying to figure out the same thing and they have not figured it out. And Job has not figured out. And you won’t figure it out. And there’s some things that God knows when nobody else knows. Isn’t that true? And what God is saying to Job Job. When I did all of this, did I ask your advice? Were you my were you my instructor? He’s saying to Job. Look Job I have a right to do as I wish. And in your trouble you better learn the sovereignty of God. Something else. He learned. He learned the sufficiency of God. Finally, when when he sees God in a new light job, 42 verses five and 6 he says this a great statement. The book of job. I have heard of the by the hearing of the ear. But now mine. I see it. The what is that? What do you mean by that? He said, listen, I’ve gone from mere theology, personal relationship through this trouble. The time when you will God will be the nearest and the dearest and the most precious to you is when you’re submerged in suffering. Forsaken by friends and and dismayed by darkness. God alone is not only necessary, but at that time, God will be enough. And then finally he learned not only the sovereignty of God and not only did he learn of the sufficiency of God, but he learned the sympathy of God. The book ends this way, Job 42, verses 10 through 13. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. And God will turn your captivity to friends. And the Lord gave to Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there all unto him, all his brethren and all his sisters and all that had been his acquaintance before and did eat bread with him in his house and they’d be boned him and comfort him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money and everyone an earring of gold. So the Lord blessed the latter end of job more than his beginning. He had 14,000 sheep. That’s twice as many 6000 camels. That’s twice as many and 1000 yoke of oxen. That’s twice as many 1000, she asks. That’s twice as many. But watch this. He had also seven sons and three daughters. Now wait a minute. How come you didn’t give him 14 sons and six daughters. He’s got twice as much of everything else. I’ll tell you why he never lost his sons and daughters. They just went to heaven. I’ve got a little boy in heaven. I haven’t lost him. I know where he is. Somebody talked to the late great vance happened and said, I’m sorry that you lost your wife. He said, I’m lost. I know where she is. Death can hide, but it cannot divide they are. But on christ other side they with him and he with us. That’s what it’s all about folks. Friend, listen to me, man that is born of woman is full of trouble. Thank God for his blessings. He blessed joe. God takes pleasure in the prosperity of his service. But you’d better get the faith of old job and say though he slay me yet, will I trust him? Okay, okay, there’s a song. I love the song Brother Jim. When answers aren’t enough, there’s jesus. There’s jesus sooner or later. Sooner or later you’re gonna have to have the faith of joe. You’re going to say the Lord gave and the Lord had taken away massive. Be the name of the Lord. Well, you say, I don’t think I want to be a christian if I’m gonna have all that trouble, my precious friend, you’re gonna have trouble anyway, man that is gonna warm and it’s full of trouble. We’re the ones who had the answer in the Lord, jesus christ Thank you for being a part of love. Worth finding. I thank God for his power that was manifest today in this worship center. I thank God for the souls that came to christ now friend, I want you to come to christ. If you’ve never done it the same invitation that I have given to these in this worship center, I am giving to you, Give your heart to jesus christ, trust him to save you and he will. And if you do that, would you write to us and let us know? We’ll rejoice, we’ll send you some literature to help you get started in your christian life, right. We hope that today’s message has been an encouragement to you and if so you can strain this message again as well as other messages from this series and download other resources related to this message all at l WF dot org or the my L W F F While you’re there. Be sure to check out our new bible studies on this series as well as many other topics at L WF dot org. You can also subscribe to our daily heartbeat. Email. Each heartbeat contains a devotional message from Adrian Rogers, A 92nd inspirational audio clip also from Adrian Rogers as well as a link to our daily radio program all in one place delivered directly to your computer or mobile device each day and if you’re looking for some inspiration or encouragement to get you through the week. Be sure to check us out on social media at L WF ministries and don’t forget you can catch up with our program each week on our facebook page or Youtube channel or on the my L WF app. Thanks for joining us for today’s message. We’ll see you next time. Wisdom is in itself a treasure. You have gold, not have wisdom and die rich food. But if you have wisdom, you are wealthy because you’re able to see life from God’s point of view. See life from God’s point of view with God’s hidden treasures. A book of inspirational and devotional thoughts from Adrian Rogers with brevity and lighthearted warmth. 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