Gods411 : Are You A Good Friend?

Are You A Good Friend?

If you were to ask your friends, "Am I a Good Friend" what do you think they would say?

About chapter 13 you can feel Job becoming frustrated with his friends. You can read the frustration in the verses above.

I wanted to take a look at Job's friends in this devotional. Job is in an amazing amount of physical and mental suffering. Job did not call his friends, they heard of Job's condition (2:11) and set out from their homes and met before they went to see Job. Before they met, they agreed to sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw Job it must have been quite a shock. In verse 2:12 the Bible says they could not recognize him.

Stop and think for a minute. Picture one of your good friends; now that you

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have that picture, try and imagine your friend so infested with sickness you do not know who they are. Maybe cancer has taken over their body, maybe they are in chemo treatments and they are swollen up. I know that I have had an experience like this. In fact she was standing right in front of me, and her other friends told me this was Jackie, I could not believe it, I did not know what to say. This is the feeling Job's friend were experiencing.

Job's friends at first did exactly what good friends should have. They just sat and did not speak. They let Job know they were there to support him. BUT, they started to open their mouths and things went down hill fast. I have often thought, why they were so harsh with Job? Maybe they felt bad and wanted to try and solve problems, which at first were good intentions, but it turns sour.

When I was at my sickest time, I had alot of people try and solve ME. I heard it all........"Have you tried to pray about it?"..........."You need to eat better"........."It was because of your past steroid use"............."You need to get a massage".........And the most hurtful of all was..... "He just needs to get over it."

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I had one friend who did not try and fix me, he simply asked if he could come over and watch a couple of movies with me. He came over, we did not talk about my disease, we just watched "The Lord of the Rings." That was very peaceful and made me feel somewhat human again.

When you have a friend that is hurting how do you treat them? Do you try and solve their problems? I agree that there is a time and a place to do that with LOVE. But, living with a disease I have gained a whole new understanding for suffering. Now, I will tell that person, I love you, and I am here for you...... that is it. If we get together I do not try and fix them. I talk about anything but the problem. Sometimes they need a place to unload, which, I will just sit there and listen and let them unload. If they ask for advice I will offer it.

I am sorry if I carried on, but, I feel that our world spends too much time trying to fix people and not enough time just loving them.

Insight Into Scripture

Welcome back! We are knee deep into a debate........ well, one might even say an argument between Job and his friends. I hope that you are enjoying the religious insight each person is displaying. Remember what you are reading is the 2nd cycle of speeches.

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Bringing the Bible Alive

Today, we start with chapter 17, but, we really need to jump back to chapter 16 to start Job's 4th speech.

Chapter 17 continues this speech, but, Job changes gears as he starts to question, where is his hope?

Chapter 18 is Bildad 2nd speech, he expresses to Job that GOD punishes the wicked...... hint hint.

Job responds to Bildad in his 5th speech in chapter 19. Here Job says that his Redeemer lives. Do you think that he was maybe trying to convince himself?

As we finish up with chapter 20 Zophar speaks up again in his 2nd speech. Here he expresses to Job that the wicked will suffer, that is why Job is suffering.

Scripture Readings

As for you, you whitewash with lies;

worthless physicians are you all.

Oh that you would keep silent,

and it would be your wisdom! - Job 13:4- 5

"I have heard many such things;

miserable comforters are you all.

Shall windy words have an end?

Or what provokes you that you answer?

I also could speak as you do,

if you were in my place;

I could join words together against you

and shake my head at you. - Job 16:2-4

I have heard many such things;

miserable comforters are you all.

3 Shall windy words have an end?

Or what provokes you that you answer? - Job 19:2-3

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus

Father thank You for all the people that are blessing me and my family with these devotionals. I pray Father that you will bless them and their families and I pray that wherever they are in life that they feel Your presence right along side of them. I pray father that you continue to show me the Jesus way to be the perfect friend.

I love You and I pray in Your name,

Amen.