Silent

Job 2

Have you ever read Job chapter 2? It starts by God telling Satan how great his servant Job is. Then Satan is allowed to take away the health of Job. He is attacked with sores, ulcers and scabs from head to toe. Can you imagine what that must have been like? The part that really amazes me is this Job 2:11-13

Job 2:11-13 (The Message)--"Three of Job's friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country--Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath--and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him. When they first caught sight of him, they couldn't believe what they saw--they hardly recognized him! They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of their grief. Then they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and night they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering."

Have you ever been in a difficult situation and people tried to tell you that they knew what you were going through? I believe as humans we feel as if we need to say something in times of anguish to let the hurting party know we care. This is not what we see in the example of Job's friends. They sat for seven days and night and didn't say a thing, they were SILENT! I know they wanted to say something to Job but they also knew that no words could express the pain that they felt for their friend. Let this be an example to you, the next time someone you know is in a difficult situation try just being there as a comfort. Sometimes people want us to just shut up and sit silent.