Wed.’s Devo - Comfort to the Weak

Read: Job 14-16
Job speaks on the brevity of life and man’s sin nature. Life is short and though his lot seems hard, he calls out to the Lord for help.
Eliphaz was a grandson of Esau which might have some bearing on his response. He rebukes Job for praying to God out of his heart. He mocks Job’s wisdom and careless words. It is obvious that Eliphaz doesn’t believe God loves the world much less has mercy on man’s frailty. He knows law and punishment.
Job calls them all miserable comforters and I would have to agree. Job tells them that if he were in their place that he would try to comfort them instead of condemning them. They have increased the enemy’s lies instead of giving him a promise of hope.
The book of Job is a great “how to” on comforting those that are down. We can know all the right answers but sometimes our right answers are more damaging than productive. When a person is down he needs encouragement, not a lesson on how he got there. The Holy Spirit can show him that. Jesus came to give hope to a people that didn’t deserve him. That is the message of grace and salvation.
Lord, help us to comfort those who are down and lift them up to walk a new life.