Job 6

At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

(Job 6:10)

Job now has a chance to reply to the first arguments of his friend Eliphaz. He admits that his words in chapter 3 were spoken “impulsively”, (you know, all that talk about wishing he was never born) but says that if they truly understood how heavy this burden was, they would be more understanding. Job’s impulsive response was not sin, it was the honest cry of a man who was suffering… from his perspective, it didn’t make sense. Now he points out that God IS involved in the difficult circumstances he is facing, but it doesn’t in any way prove he is guilty of any heinous secret sin like Eliphaz insinuated.

At this point Job compares these friends to a river that is swollen in the spring with the runoff of winter, banks flooded; the promise of life spilling over its borders. The summer comes, and in the heat he remembers the river, and he goes there for relief, only to find it is all dried up, offering nothing of what it had once promised. Put yourself in Job’s shoes for a moment… His friends come, they sit with him, they mourn with him; he feels that they may have the supply, the relief that he is looking for. Comfort, encouragement and refreshment; these are the things Job desires from his friends, and they seem to be overflowing the banks with these things as they wait with Job. Now that Eliphaz has opened his mouth, it is clear he has none of this to offer, rather than sharing Job’s burden, he is adding to it!

Job begs them to tell him what he has done wrong, what this awful sin is… and no one can! They just seem to think it must be there! Job begs them to stop assuming he is guilty and as friends, who know him to be an honest man, believe him when he says he is innocent. According to this chapter, the only comfort Job had was that he had been faithful to believe the words of God!

Take a lesson from Job here. If you ever find yourself in a situation where all those you looked to for help, for comfort, and for encouragement have let you down; don’t give up hope. God is faithful, you can take refuge in him, and be comforted by the fact that He will never leave you nor forsake you… just keep clinging to Him.

On the other side, don’t be like Job’s friends. Don’t le the rivers of living water that God wants to supply through you dry up when your friends need it most. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that LOVE BELIEVES THE BEST. In Job’s case, his friends were assuming the worst, and that isn’t love! Believe the best about one another, encourage one another, and bear one another’s burdens. There is a place for addressing sin or other issues in each others lives, but it must always be done in love.