Who needs them?
“Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8 NASB) So, God was honoring Job for his manor of living and was challenged by Satan resulting in this “blameless and upright man” given a fiery trial. “When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.” (Job 2:11 NASB)
Sympathy and comfort are good intentions, but they were not going to cure what troubled their friend. They should have prayed, instead they filled Job’s painful hours with their foolishness. Job eventually heard from God, and this “blameless and upright man” received a great humbling.
“Then Job answered the Lord and said,
‘I know that You can do all things,
And that no plan is impossible for You.
‘Who is this who conceals advice without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I do not know.
‘Please listen, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct me.’
I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You;
Therefore I retract,
And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.”
“It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is trustworthy, as My servant Job has.'” (Job 42:1-7 NASB)
There is no calamity that happens without the knowledge and consent of Almighty God. Christians are not immune to very real trials of our faith. Be like Job and proclaim that the Lord, your God and Saviour is trustworthy. He is and will speak peace to your storm.
His Family Table 