Daily PresenceSample

There’s a song that just about everyone should be familiar with. The lyrics go something like this: “lean on me, when you’re not strong and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on, for it won’t be long, till I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.” I bet you sang that to yourself as you read it!

What a great depiction of friendship and if only it worked that way every time. We’ve all had friends that acted in this very way. They are a listening ear when we need it or offer words of encouragement when we are discouraged. We’ve also had the friends that bring us down. Friends that in our darkest hour give us poor advice and offer only the gloomiest of responses. Needless to say these are the ones we don’t need in our lives-the ones that may not be our friend very long.

In Job chapter 17-20 we see Job continue with this back and forth between himself and his friends. While Job seeks encouragement and a listening ear he gets only discouragement in return. His friends continually look for no other explanation than that he has done something (some hidden sin) to cause all the negative things that have happened in his life. Is it not reasonable to assume that bad things don’t only happen to wicked people and that often the righteous suffer as well?

Job may have had a better outlook on his situation with the proper words from his friends. This should be a reminder to us all to choose our words wisely with our friends. Let us learn from Job's friends how not to approach someone in suffering. May our every word and action be a fruit of the spirit and be spoken out of love. Acting this way will only enrich our lives and the lives of those we call friends.