Miserable Comforters
Text: job 16:1-22
Key Verse:
A cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy was told by the doctors that she had some few months to live. As a born again Christian, she was fervently looking forward to a divine intervention. As the pain grew worse and the symptoms became more complex, she decided it was time to wind down, by settling outstanding matters with friends and foes by doing her restitution. The husband and the children were helpful and supportive, giving her all the fellowship she needed.
The news of the impending demise got to some of the members of the church. Many came to genuinely sympathize with her, but some came with censorious spirit to add more pain to sorrow. One lady came, suggesting that her predicaments were due to her unconfessed sins. Another came to challenge her to ignite her idle and weak faith. Another came with the scriptures “this kind goeth not out except by fasting and prayers.” She was totally confused and embarrassed by these miserable comforters. Job was passing through a test of his faith. He had been plodding on manfully being philosophical about the series of misfortunes that befell him, “the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD”, and ‘ I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.”
His three friends thought otherwise. Their doctrinal correctness did not give room for a test of faith. Their self-righteousness was elevated beyond the righteousness of God, as the Pharisees. To them, sickness, diseases, calamities and tribulations are just divine recompense for sin. They forgot or were ignorant of the diabolical activities of Satan. To them, Satan has no business with the children of God. The friends of Job accused him of spiritual pride, by not confessing his secret sins, thereby making themselves “miserable comforters”.
Someone says, “It is he that feels it that knows it.” Jesus Christ came into the world not only to die for our sins, but also to experience our human frailties, so that he is in good stead to comfort us in all our sorrows. His Holy Spirit is given to us, so that we can be comforted in all our challenges. Words of men cannot comfort us enough, we need the comfort of the Holy Spirit in all the areas of our lives.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
There is no friend like Jesus in this world.