Without being a Job yourself, as a believer under the discipline of the Lord and tempted to ”become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebr. 12:3) you may still feel spiritually related to Job whom some theologians consider a mere myth, but he is referred to as a  suffering prophet whose life afflicted Christians should remember as an example of perseverance and  the object of the Lord´s compassion and mercy  (Jam. 5:11).

That book which I´m again reading should also teach us true compassion with tried friends and save us from being like those “miserable comforters” of Job (see Job 16:2) .  They were the ones who challenged him with questions like, “What do you know?” (11:8) and “What do you know that we do not know?”  (15:9). And yet that man in despair could say what he did know, “I know that my Redeemer lives!”  (19:25).  
 
I knew a dear man of God many years ago.  He was a hard tried man in private matters plus physical illness.  As a preacher and personal friend he meant much to me as a young Christian.  But he went through deep waters and could like Job speak in the bitterness of his soul (10:1).

A young, proud Christian talked to him one day in a rather didactic tone.  My friend got agitated about his arrogance, but the stuck-up fellow said, “Are you sure you are speaking in the Holy Spirit now?” and he started quoting the Bible to him.  My suffering friend said, “You´re quoting God´s  word to me, but I may do the same to you, for doesn´t it say :  “The speech of a despairing man  belongs to the wind” ( Job 6:26, in Norwegian rendering)

The “super” spiritual young man was not spiritual enough to understand that he was dealing with a man in despair. Instead he behaved like one of the “miserable comforters”.  In that light we should study the book of Job and the words of James (5:11).  That may make us better qualified to minister true grace to the afflicted with the tenderness of the Lord.

August 23, 2014 - jn