God's Comfort
"Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. 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!" (Job 16: 1,2,20,21 KJV)
Job was at the point of utter despair; he had no hope! Instead of the people who were supposed to be his friends praying for him and encouraging him, they ridiculed and criticized him. Every time I read the story of Job, I get very upset with his friends because they didn't comfort him with God's Comfort.
Several years ago while reading this story, God spoke to my heart and told me, "You are just as guilty as Job's friends were when you comfort people. You judge, criticize, and put them down instead of encouraging and comforting them with My Comfort".
Why do you and I persist in trying to impress others with how much we think we know about the situation they are facing? We do not really know what is in their hearts. All we know is what we see and what they tell us. Only God sees the inner heart. We have no business telling anyone that we know more than they do with they are facing a desperate situation.
If we really do love that person and want to help him or her, then we need to immediately put our arms around him or her and comfort them with God's Comfort. We need to pray aloud for them while holding them. Do not instruct them while praying for them! That is not a prayer; that is you trying to impose what you think they should do.
May God forgive us for being one of Job's comforters instead of God's Comforter! What about you, when someone is hurting and desperately needs a hug and touch from God, do you criticize and try to impress them with how superior you think you are to them, or do you comfort them with the Love of Jesus?
One day, you may be facing a desperate situation and need someone to hug you and pray for you. If you have not extended the Comfort of God to others, you probably will not receive His Comfort from others. It is true, "You get back what you give out".
Not only are we not comforting others with God's Comfort, we are breaking the Heart of Jesus! Hasn't Jesus suffered enough for us? Why won't we do things to make Jesus happy? We might as well drive another nail into His Hands and Heart.
Joanne Lowe
joannelowe8@cox.net
August 17, 2005