Day Twenty Nine: The Wisest Thing You Could Do (Job 13:5)

"If only you could be silent!

That's the wisest thing you could do."

Job 13:5 NLT

My literal response to this verse, right smack dab in the middle of my Job reading, was:

"Wow. {laughing emoji face}"

It's not often that I literally L.O.L.
Don't ask me why, I just think it's downright hilarious that Job responds this way.

At this point he's been criticized for losing heart, accused of mocking God, and basically told he's surely being punished for some sin he must have committed, to deserve all of the unfortunate events that have befallen him. 

At this point, Job had enough of his three "friends", who had originally come to comfort and console him, but now seemed to be turning on him.

The well-intentioned crew was doing good, at first. Job 2 tells us "...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." (verse 13)

But then Job lets out a lament so fierce it leaves everyone alarmed.

Have you ever been alarmed by a friend's extreme emotion?
I know I have. 

I often struggle to process my own pain, let alone someone else's.
My go-to strategies are to either ignore, slap a Bible verse on it, or try to "fix" the problem.
These tactics often include a lot of talking-- much like Job's buddies.

The problem is I'm not God. And neither were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
God doesn't need us defending Him or putting words in His mouth.

Now, don't get me wrong- I'm a firm believer in the fact that the Holy Spirit can whisper words of truth and encouragement to share with other believers in their time of need. That's why we are told to "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1) to discern whether the words we are about to speak are from His heart or our own understanding and ambitions.

But there is a time to be quiet and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

The Bible says we are to "mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:5). And that's a difficult directive for a "fixer" like me. 

Despite his awkward approach, I think Job was right: being silent is, most often, the wisest thing I can do for a friend in anguish.

There is an inexplicable healing power in silent presence and prayer.

But... what about when it is time time speak? 

I love David's prayer in Psalm 141:3 which says, "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."

In other words, "Let me only speak the words you would have me to say, Lord."

Sometimes I just need to shut up and let God do the talking. He's better at it anyway.

Dwelling in Him,