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Job 14:21-22 "His sons come to honor and he does not know it; they are brought low, and he perceives it not. He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns only for himself."

 

Job is lamenting the plight of man, specifically, here, how we can get so wrapped up in our own suffering that we don't see anything else. The "everything, everywhere, all at once" feeling during the COVID years was like this for many. There was so much fear, and so much to deal with, many people turned inward and did not really think about their fellow man, ignoring the pain and suffering being caused to so many. We saw people turn on each other, forgetting that each of us is a beloved child of God, not a walking Petri dish of illness and death. Families were divided as the lies of our times caused such overwhelming fear and anxiety, and many remain so.

 

This is always a sign of the devil at work. When he is given a longer leash, Satan wreaks as much havoc as he can, knowing that he will eventually be reined in again. Job's sufferings were a test by Satan allowed by God. Our sufferings are a test, too, or at least an opportunity to grow closer to God. Even when our suffering seems overwhelming, God is asking us to bear them as Jesus did. We should not let suffering consume us, but look outwards to others and upward to God in times of great need. It is in that looking out and up that we will find His consolation.