Have you ever seen good come out of suffering for your friends or family?

They gamble for my clothes
and divide them among themselves.

~Psalm 22:18

 

not that I can think of right now.

Describe what you believe happens after you die. Is this a frightening or encouraging picture to you?

because you protect me from the power of death.
I have served you faithfully,
and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead.

~Psalm 16:10

 

I believe that our souls go to heaven.  We feel no pain or sorrow and that is a very encouraging picture to me.

Suppose you were put in prison. What kind of letters would you write?

For the sake of this gospel I am an ambassador, though now I am in prison. Pray that I may be bold in speaking about the gospel as I should.

~Ephesians 6:20

 

I would be writing letters to my family and close friends asking them to pray for me.

In Job's place, what kind of answer would you have wonted frm God? Does god's reply to Job suprise you?

Job, you challenged Almighty God;
will you give up now, or will you answer?

~Job 40:2

 

God's reply to Job does not suprise me.  What ever God's reply is to our problems should be sufficient to us.

Do these principles from Jopb match up with what you have heard about suffering from other Christians?

But God teaches people through suffering
and uses distress to open their eyes.

~~Job 36:15

 

yes.

Do Elihu's arguments sound familiar? What do you think of friends who have similar thoughts about others who suffer?

I paid close attention and heard you fail;
you have not disproved what Job has said.

~Job 32:12

 

They do sound a little familiar, but Elihu should have sounded more supportive.

Read over the qualities of life in the Spirit listed in (Galatians) 5:22-23. Do these characterize your life?

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.

~Galatians 5:6

 

This is what it says in Galatians 5:22-23:

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
 

I woulds say that I do possesss all of these qualities in which some probably do need to be worked on more then possibly others, such as patience and self-control.