Words from Friends

0:00None of Job's friends said a word to him because they saw how great his suffering was. Job 2.13 Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread. Words from friends was written by Caterapaten and read by Tony Collier. Job 2.7-13 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the souls of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, �Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die.� He replied, �You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble? In all this Job did not sin in what he said.

1:01When Job's three friends, Ella Fass, the team of night, Bill Dad, the shoe height, and so far the Nama Thite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him. They began to weep aloud and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him because they saw how great his suffering was. Words from friends written by Catera Patton As I sat in Bible class at the age of 26, I was baffled. Some of my classmates' comments were discouraging. They seemed to have so many problems. I responded by asking, if we're Christians, why are we so down? Don't we know how this thing really ends?

2:03I was referring to the promise of eternal life in Christ, but also to the many promises in the Bible of God's care for his people. The instructor simply smiled and moved on. But my comment has stuck with me for years. Eventually, life hit me. Love loss, bereavement, illness, and more led me to feel discouraged. Yes, God's promises are comforting and true, but they don't promise an easy life. Jesus said, we will have trouble. Quite naturally, we feel the impact of such troubles just as a man named Job did. He was tested and it hit him hard. He lost his children, his property, and his health. His friends came to visit him to console him. In the beginning, they simply supported their friend quietly, noting how great his suffering was. But then they began asking unhelpful questions, not too dissimilar to the one I posed in

3:05Bible class. As we encounter others going through trouble, the Holy Spirit can help us respond with love and compassion, and as we experience sorrow, we can remember the comfort of God's promises. Let's pray. Lord, when life hits us hard, with loss, illness, loneliness, and grief, remind us that your promises aren't a guarantee of an easy road, but of your presence on a hard one. When we're spiraling into darkness, comfort our hearts and minds, and remind us that you're walking this hard road with us, and that you will see us through. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. How has a friend helped you during a rough time?

4:06How can you help others by using sensitivity and discernment?