True Friends

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words. [Job 2.13]

I know I have made many a speculation about the book of Job and about his friends. I think I have been a little shortsighted and unfair toward Job's friends in the past. However, today, I see something in Job's friends that I would like to focus on just a bit.

Say what one will about Job's friends, their fervent dedication to their friend Job (as seen in the verse above) should not be discounted. Job's closest friends sat with him for seven days without saying a word!

I have been fortunate in my lifetime to have a friend that close. We could sit with each other for hours without a single word - and yet, the camaraderie was undeniable.

I am reminded of the Proverb:

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. [Proverbs 27.17]

I have no doubt today that Job's friends, right or wrong in everything they would go on to say to Job, were friends indeed. And, as when iron strikes iron, we will see some sparks fly as Job's story unfolds.

So, a true friend can appreciate the need for silence but also engage in conversations that bring challenge and even rebuke. True friendship can, therefore, be quite exciting!

Father, may we all be surrounded with friends like Job's who can appreciate the gravity of silence in our relationship but also endure challenges to pride, faith, knowledge and understanding found in those relationships.