INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS

Few men, if any, have been afflicted like Job. His troubles involved the catastrophic loss of family members as well as physical ailments beyond most people's ability to endure. During the depths of these difficult trials, Job's three “friends” (Job 2:11Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
See All...) visited him. They showed up to comfort him but instead turned out to be additional sources of grief. Each word spoken by his friends seemed to compound his already miserable condition and circumstances.  Job did not consider this to be the work of a friend and told them that, “To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend.” Later in the same chapter, Job said that his friends dug a pit for him (Job 6:27Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.
See All...). Job’s friends should have shown him pity during his troublesome times instead of scorning (Job 16:20My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
See All...) and abhorring him (Job 19:19All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
See All...). True friends know how to comfort and console their friends as they experience trouble and pain in life. They certainly do not unrighteously judge and condemn.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children) This Sunday, look around your Sunday School class. Who is missing? Were they sick? Did their family have car trouble, etc? Will you let them know you missed them and are praying that they can make it the next Sunday?
• (For everyone)  Do your friends ever suffer through tough times? What do you do when they go through such times? Do you show them any sympathy or do you rebuke them without even knowing why such things are taking place?
• As Christian friends, there are times when a rebuke is necessary. Yet, there are other times when our friends need an understanding ear and shoulder. Are you balanced in this area?

PRAYER THOUGHTS

• Ask God to help you find a godly balance with your friends.
• Ask the Lord to help you learn how to be both comforting and supportive of your friends.

SONG

O to Be Like Thee!

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