Friends willing to be there…

I realize that Job's friends were not necessarily the wisest or most helpful in their words later on, but this really struck me, the fact that when they saw Job's distress, they left their duties and came to be with him.

The Bible says:

"Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that [his] grief was very great." (from Job 2:11:13)

I don't know about you, but I thought this was pretty powerful. They aren't having a party, I'm not even sure if they were eating food during this time. They were probably fasting. But they came, and they just sat in silence…not a few hours, not a couple days, but seven whole days! Wow!!!!!!!

How many of you have friends that would do that for you today? (I think I have several that would, but not many.)

It's easy to say something, but to just mourn with someone and be silent??

Prov. 18:24 says, "…And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

I'd like to learn to be THAT KIND of friend! They are rare and far between. 

PS: I know I'm making real fast progress (NOT) going through this book, and I don't know that I'll stay on this "Job vein" forever, but there's so many cool things I noticed while reading this book. (And since I'm currently posting a week of blogs at a time, so I can break way for writing and from the Internet, it's easier to put all together.)