Back in Job today.
Job 16:1-5 (NIV)
1Then Job replied:2“I have heard many things like these;
miserable comforters are you all!3Will your long-winded speeches never end?
What ails you that you keep on arguing?4I also could speak like you,
if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
and shake my head at you.5But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
Job’s friends have continually brought accusation after accusation against him… encouraging him to turn to God and confess whatever sins he has committed. While wise counsel… IF TRUE… their words merely rub salt in an open wound to Job.
Here he is… innocent of sin against God… suffering because God chose to allow it to demonstrate to Satan the depth of Job’s faithfulness to Him… standing continually accused by his friends.
I wonder if we often do the same thing with our friends. In an effort to comfort, do we often bring pain instead? When we should perhaps simply be a listening ear, a comforting shoulder, or the like… do we often ramble on trying to find words to say to help? Words that, in all reality, simply twist the knife a bit deeper?
Are we miserable comforters?
I hope not.
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