Anyone without a friend is in a sad state. We need friends for various reasons. With all the conceivable reasons one stands out for me. We need friends to encourage us when life gets overwhelming.

For Job things got to the point where he “opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth”. In Job 3, for the entire chapter Job bears his heart out in distress because of his unexpected circumstances. Job’s pain and disappointment is evident. There is no doubt that he for that moment wished he was never born.

As I sat this morning I opened the word of God to a chapter that spoke volumes to me. Subsequent to reading Job’s response in chapter 3 and trying to share in his moment of grief and excruciating pain here comes chapter 4 of the book of Job. Oh I felt such an ease. In my mind Eliphaz’s responds points to someone who knew Job and what he stood for as a man of God. In essence I believe Eliphaz used the very words or ways of Job to encourage him. Look at these verses of Job 4:

3 Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.

4 Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.

5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed.

6 Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?

7 "Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?

What made Eliphaz able to encourage Job was because of who Job was. He was blameless (Job 1:1). Job could easily be seen as a man whose heart was for God, a man who took care of his family and extended himself to those less fortunate than himself. Job gave unselfishly to doing what would honour God. That was what made it easy for Eliphaz to encourage Job. Eliphaz could have encouraged Job because Job was a friend to all.

Application

- When trouble overtakes you, can you say you have friends who will be there to encourage you?

- Are you being a friend to others in their time of distress and pain?

Let Us Pray

Abba, again You have brought to our attention a lifelong lesson. You have displayed through Job’s life a blameless man, a man whose heart was for You, a man who knew what being a friend epitomizes. Help me to be that kind of a friend.

Read: Job 3-4