Friends Show Up

O. T. #1117  "Friends Show Up"
Dec. 18, 2017
Job 2-Part 5
A friend loveth at all times.   Proverbs 17:17

LET IT GLOW

Job had three friends came to mourn with him and comfort him. They were known for their wisdom, yet showed their wisdom to be narrow-minded and incomplete. At least they made the effort to visit Job. His local friends did not, at least Scriptures does not record any.

What happened when they arrived at the city dump, finding Job?

• His physical appearance resulted in their being scarcely able to recognize him. Job was covered with boils from head to toe.
• Wailing loudly, they tore robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief.
• They spoke not a word unto Job for they saw his grief was very great. Hebrew tradition of one in mourning said that person spoke to the visitor first.
• The friends sat 7 days and nights in silence with Job.

Those friends were unprepared for what they saw. This once healthy, robust, cheerful, respected, and prosperous man who lived in a fine house, had servants, wore expensive clothing, had many friends, and a wonderful family changed. They saw a man that was thin, pale, dirty, diseased, lonely, friendless, broken, sitting like an animal in the town dung heap. They gasped in horror and disbelief.
At this point, Job's friends were sincere in their grief and desire to comfort him. (Falwell)
Job's pain was too deep to be comforted with mere words.

When a friend is suffering and in need, which group of Job's friends will we be like-local ones who stayed their distance or the three who left their homes and traveled a distance?
When we hear, do we show up?


LET IT GROW

Charles Swindoll gave a few characteristics of true friends:

1. Friends care enough without being asked to come. No official invitation is required when a friend is in anguish and pain.
2. Friends respond with sympathy and comfort. Sympathy includes identifying with the sufferer. They went to console, which means to shake the head or to rock the body back and forth as a sign of shared grief. To comfort is to attempt to ease the deepest pain caused by a tragedy or death.
3. Friends openly express the depth of their feelings. Job's friends sit down on the ground, not concerned with getting dirty or messy.
4. Friends understand, so they say very little. No explanations or spiritual advice is need at this point. Our presence and our tears say much more than our words.

If Job's friends had listened to him, accepted his feelings, and not argued with him, they would have helped him greatly; but they chose to be prosecuting attorneys instead of witnesses.(Wiersbe)

Often times we don't know how a person feels, so we shouldn't say so. Listen, give a few words of comfort, pray, and leave. Lingering too long can do more harmful than good.

LET IT GO

Go listen and love with the heart those hurting.
Cry with those who cry.
Pray for them.
Keep checking on them.