[Daily Devotion] November 16th, 2016

[Daily Devotion] November 16th, 2016

Job 2: 11 – 13 When There Are No Words

Job’s Three Friends

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. 13 They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

What does the Passage say?

The story of Job can shock us. God loves Job so much. “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil'” (Job 1:8, NRSV). Satan says that he is righteous to God because all the blessing God poured out in his life. God gives permission to Satan to test Job. 

Satan takes away all that Job has possessed, even the life of his seven children. After all these events “Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and WORSHIPPED. He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord'” (Job 1:20-21 NRSV). 

After the story of his loss spread his three friends come and sit with him in solitude. 

What does this Passage say to me/ us?

I wish we could do what Job’s three friends did in this chapter. (Even though, they start condemning Job, urging him to find a sin that might have caused this disaster, later in the following chapters.) 
It was a right thing for them to do with their suffering friend. Sit with him in solitude.  
 
This passage is calling us, as a church and followers of Christ to sit in solitude with the people, who are suffering. Not to go and fix anything. Not to teach them anything, but to go and merely sit with them. 
 
Be a shoulder they can lean on. Cry with the ones who grieve. Romans 12:14-15 says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
 
This is a command to the church, not only in this time of the aftermath of the election but a lifelong command. 
 
Prayer

Lord, help us to be with solitude with people who are suffering. Help us to be an agent of reconciliation, as you are our true reconciler.  We pray this in your name, Jesus Christ, AMEN

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