September 14, 2018
Job 2:13; 6:14
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.
“Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend
    forsakes the fear of the Almighty."
New International Version (NIV)
               “Nothing is sometimes a good thing to do and almost always a good thing to say.”  Job’s three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar came to him to join his grief.  When they saw he was almost unrecognizable, they wept and tore their robes.  Then for a full week they did not speak for they saw his suffering was great.  This one week of silence was their best moment as Job’s friends.

                When Job began to talk, so did they.  Job lamented his birth.  Eliphaz decided to interrupt him by suggesting he deserved his pain.  In his view, the innocent prosper.  Job must have done something wrong to deserve his extraordinary losses.  Do we ever think that way?  If we are doing well and another suffers, do we breathe a sigh of relief.  It would be a mistake to think that way, but a bigger one to say it out loud.

                The way we treat our friends says something about our friendship with God.  If we refuse to be friendly to others we are not respecting the Lord.  God cares about the hurting.  He invites us to care as well.  When we are unkind to friends we act like there is no God.  Positively, when we recognize the Lord we can treat others kindly.  Years ago I read about a man who lost his wife.  A little girl who loved his family went by to see him.  Her mother asked her, “What did you say?”  She said, “I just cried with him.”  Often this is the very best thing we can do for our friends.

Pray with me:  
Father, thank you for calling us your friends and sending your Son to lay down his life for us.  Teach us sacrificial friendship so that we may care for others as you have cared for us.  Take away our need to talk.  Teach us to listen and to love others in silence.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.
  This year we focus our Every Day with Jesus readings on Jesus’ story.  With references to Tallowood's Read Through the Bible in 2018 daily reading plan, let's focus our undivided attention on Jesus and follow where he lead. He will not fail. Neither will we!
 
Joyfully, 
 
Duane 
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