Job 2 (Listen)
2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
Devotional:
Then they sat on the ground with him seven days and nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very intense. (Job 2:13 CSB)
Job’s friends got it right by saying nothing, sitting with him in silence, and just being there to comfort him for seven days and nights! James 1:19 tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak, and slow to become angry. When we do not know all the facts or the whole situation, let’s be slow to speak. Sometimes our presence is more comforting than anything we could say. Have you ever sat in silence with a hurting friend or ever had a friend just sit in silence with you? Knowing that my friends are there for me is enough in the midst of pain and suffering, trial and tribulation.
Pray it: Father, help me to weep with those who weep, not focusing on devising things to say to them to comfort them, but on clearing my schedule and being present with them to help them in their suffering. Open my eyes to those who are hurting around me and move me towards them, not away from them. Amen.
Share it: Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with today?