Its a popular topic = especially among our Christian brethen who subscribe to the health, wealth and subprime school of thought. Sorry, being sarcastic there.
Anyways I found this article which proved to be illuminating. Here is an excerpt:
What do we do then when our philosophy and theology collapse, when we are swamped by circumstances outside our control, or particularly when this involves circumstances for which we feel a certain amount of guilt or personal responsibility?
Hymn to wisdom
Let me give an example of how Job is directed towards a solution. In Chapter 28 of the Book you have that famous hymn to wisdom where we are reminded of all the treasures that lie hidden in the earth. All the treasures that we know - gold, silver, sapphires - don't lie on the beach. If we want treasure, we have to go into darkness; we have to search in the depths of the world.
The presumption in the Book of Job is that if there is a solution to suffering it will be in the suffering, it will be in the darkness. Don't look somewhere else, don't fight it - look in the suffering, in the dark place.
In the ascetical and mystical traditions of the Church - e.g., St John of the Cross - it is said that if you want to find a treasure of prayer and life with God, you must go into a dark night of the senses, and a dark night of the spirit. That is exactly the same thing. The treasure of wisdom and prayer and the treasure which is God will be found only in darkness.
So the first guide towards a solution to suffering is to accept it, and to move into it and embrace it - to move into darkness. To use the language of metaphor and the language of faith, the darkest moment in human history was when the sky was darkened on Calvary and the sun stopped shining, as represented in the Gospel texts. The fullness of God's love was revealed in an act of murder. In the blackness of Calvary, the wisdom and love of God were revealed. If we want to learn about God, we must learn about wisdom, we must take up the cross and move into the darkness of faith as it is presented in the Gospels.
If you are facing trouble or problems - instead of moaning about it and saying "Why me???" it might be good to pray about it and seek God in our misery. Ask him for help and wisdom. Don't allow yourself to remain bitter or angry.1 "There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.
3 Man puts an end to the darkness;
he searches the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.
4 Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft,
in places forgotten by the foot of man;
far from men he dangles and sways.
5 The earth, from which food comes,
is transformed below as by fire;
6 sapphires [a] come from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon's eye has seen it.
8 Proud beasts do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.
9 Man's hand assaults the flinty rock
and lays bare the roots of the mountains.
10 He tunnels through the rock;
his eyes see all its treasures.
11 He searches [b] the sources of the rivers
and brings hidden things to light.
12 "But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding dwell?
13 Man does not comprehend its worth;
it cannot be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, 'It is not in me';
the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed in silver.
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,
with precious onyx or sapphires.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.
20 "Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds of the air.
22 Destruction [c] and Death say,
'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.'
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
24 for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
26 when he made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.
28 And he said to man,
'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.' "
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