How We Often Feel When Comfort Is Not Found

When people need comfort, what kind of person will you be to them? How about to a person you know well and love? You will probably do all you can to comfort them and to bring them peace. But what about someone you do not know and have heard bad things about? Will your desire to show them comfort be any different if you thought they lost their job or is now homeless because of a drinking problem, or other kinds of sin? Man of you will say that you will not allow what other people think, but others do allow others to determine their thoughts before giving a person a chance. Now, one thing we need to realize is that all accusations are not correct. A person may be simply struggling because of lives trials, and who is it for us to prejudge them for what we do not know. The same should be said for Job’s friends. Instead of showing Job any sort of comfort, all they could muster up was judgement after judgement, based on what they believe he did. And Job said the following about them. ¹“I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.” (Job 16:2-5) These people were treating him badly and he told them that he could do the same to them. However, he has decided to do God’s will and hold his tongue anyways.

We have a lot to learn from Job. He could have gotten angry with his friends, but instead let them know how they were making him feel. He still desired comfort from them, but they could not do it. And in speaking of God, he said, ¹“He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me. God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.” (Job 16:9-12) ¹“Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.” (Job 16:19-22) Many times we also feel God hates us and that His wrath is upon us when we are going through something like a job loss, financial issues, a death in the family, broken marriage and when sin is in our lives. Like Job, all we want is some sort of comfort from our friends, but it is hard to find that peace. Many people just want to counsel us and not comfort us, which is how Job felt as well. Therefore, as Christians, we should always remember to ²“be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” (James 1:19) This is how every true Christian should act.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray for peace in this world of uncertainty. Help people who are suffering find the peace and comfort they need, in order to carry on in life. I know that life can be hard, especially when it comes to job losses, financial issues, marriage issues, a death in the family, and more. Even sin can certainly be a factor as to why people are so depressed. When we are broken down because of this lost world we live in, there is no rest for our souls. We have tried all the different outlets and have only had temporary pleasure, but nothing lasting to take home with us. Surely, all that comes out of the world’s offerings is more pain, grief, sadness, guilt, and shame. I know that these feelings can devastate a person enough to be depressed and commit suicide. So, Lord, I pray that people will find rest in Your presence. If it is them finding You in prayer, praise God. If it is them finding You through other Christians, praise God. Surely, we as Christians have a great deal to do in Your kingdom. And if we think that we are comfortable with what we are doing already, I know that You have something coming to us, that will catch us off guard. For there is always someone to comfort. There is always someone who we can help. We are a light unto this world, and I pray that more people will be lit up to serve You, in order to do Your will. People are suffering and we need Your help to find these people and to deliver them Your peace and comfort. May there be no more pointing fingers at the innocent or guilty, but only forgiveness and mercy, just as You have forgiven us. These things I pray, in Your mighty Name, Jesus. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.

Job 16

¹Job 16 (KJV)
1 Then Job answered and said,
2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
4 I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
7 But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.
9 He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
21 O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

James 1

²James 1 (KJV)
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.