(Job 2:1-13) Again, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds firm to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” 4 Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has, he will give for his life. 5 However, reach out with Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face!” 6 So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”
7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with severe boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. 8 And Job took a piece of pottery to scrape himself while he was sitting in the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold firm your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You are speaking as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we actually accept good from God but not accept adversity?” Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, they came, each one from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they looked from a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe, and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. 13 Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
This time, God allowed Satan to take Job's health away. Again, a trial and temptation without cause... Job had done nothing wrong. There are times when God will discipline His children, but there are times that we struggle even when we haven't done anything wrong. These are tests for us to keep worshiping and depending on God, so we can see God's faithfulness and strength in our lives.
Job's wife had the very worst suggestion. Like a lot of people, she blamed God. And then, discouraged her husband by telling him to curse God. To walk away from the Lord is the very opposite of what we should do! The right thing for her to do would have been to make him as comfortable as possible, with encouragements to continue trusting in the Lord, and prayer!!!
Now, Job's three friends were wise and compassionate in the beginning. They went to sympathize and comfort Job, and did not speak one word. For one week, all they did was be there with him.
It is interesting how most people, even though they feel awkward and don't know WHAT to say, think that they HAVE to say something. Some people try to find the right words that will fix everything, but this usually doesn't go over very well. And even worse, something I struggle with myself is, in trying to relate, I share personal experiences, or stories of others... Well, this usually doesn't go over very well because it sounds like we're trying to compete and compare hardships.
After my mom had passed away, a couple had invited me and my husband over for supper. After a bit of an awkward moment, the gentleman said to me, "I don't really know what to say to you. What would you prefer to talk about?" I really appreciated this approach. Honesty and thoughtfulness! I let them know that I was fine talking about it, or not talking about it, but mourning the passing of my mom was something I had to go through, and there wasn't anything anyone could say or do to make me feel better. This is only a temporary loss. I will see her again one day. And she would want me to continue living my life for God, as I should, with joy!
Now I feel like I need to share some of the craziest things I heard at my mom's funeral, as well as the thoughts that ran through my head as I graciously smiled and listened. "Your mom is now in a better place." Yes! I already know that. "You now have big shoes to fill." No! I have my own shoes, and my own path to walk. "Now that your mom is gone, live a life that would make your mom proud." Actually, I try to live to please the Lord. "Your mom is now in heaven looking down on you and watching over you." NOOO!!! Nope. She is in a heavenly sleep - asleep in Christ (as per 1 Thessalonians 4:13). God, who is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, is looking after me!
Also note, if there's a young boy present - any son to a parent who just passed away - please - NEVER say to him that he is now the man of the house. No. He isn't. He's not a parent. He's not an equipped adult to handle adult matters. He's still a child. That's a lot of guilt and pressure to put on a kid!
Therefore, something we can remember is: we do not have to always say anything! At a funeral, it can be as simple as, "I'm so sorry for your loss." Or to someone who is sick, "I'm sorry that you have to go through this. How can I pray more effectively for you?" Just our presence and prayers can be a huge help and blessing to anyone who is suffering! And if we do say anything, it should be to encourage a person to draw close to the Lord, because He cares, and He will help!
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