Miserable Friends … by Pastor Wayne Foster

Today’s Reading – Job 15 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Philippians 1 – 4; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51

Read the “0609 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.” (Job 16:1-2)

Everyone has been through tough times. The times that seemed like everything was just going wrong, and everywhere you turned the walls were closing in. This is where Job finds himself having lost everything. He lost all of children, and all of his wealth. In times like this, when we are in the depths of despair we need encouragement.

Where do we get encouragement from? Hobbies, family, or friends. They are to bring us comfort, hope, joy, love, even peace (Romans 12:15).  Job’s “friends” didn’t come with encouragement; they came with judgmental attitudes. Job called them “miserable comforters” (Job 16:2).  With everything that’s going on in the world today, it’s easy to be unsympathetic to people. There are a lot of people hurting. Even those closest to us could be hurting inwardly without showcasing it to those around them. Often it is easier for us to be judgmental than empathetic. As Christians we should feel others hurt in our hearts. When Job was suffering emotionally and physically, he needed friends to give him encouragement. Sometimes in life you just have “miserable friends.” The ones who are always complaining about this or that. The ones who are the “Negative Nancy’s”, or “Debbie Downers.” In times of deep grief, we need support. Unfortunately, instead of looking up, most of us draw that support from our “miserable friends.” So how do we keep ourselves from being those “Miserable Friends” Job had?  How do we encourage others?  A true Christian friend can be supportive, loving and caring. The best way we can do this is by pointing people to Christ. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He is whom we draw our hope, and strength from. Show kindness. Show love. Don’t be a “miserable friend.”