Friends When Your Faith is Being Tested

Friends When Your Faith is Being Tested.

  The crazy wonderful things

that friends will do

when you are hurting. Friends will sit in silence with you in your grief. Like Job’s companions did.

^“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.” (Job 2:11-13)

What a vivid picture this portrays for us. Of compassion, friendship and sorrow. What an example. It truly speaks volumes. Friends are, as it has been said, “A sheltering tree”. Even in profound silence. Their hearts were torn with Job’s. They couldn’t wrap their minds around it either. Human logic could not understand or explain it. Job’s mind was more blown than theirs. It was too much to bear. Job wished he had never been born. There are times when silence is better than words; When a tender heart and gentle hug, or a hand upon your shoulder, silently praying or softly weeping over you. Does more to comfort than all the words of mankind. When listening and loving is better; and patience is kinder. The three friends sincerely meant to console Job. How different it would have been if they had chosen to speak words of life to Job instead of words of Judgement and condemnation. Why Kindness matters... “For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.” (Job 6:14)

Notice Job’s words and what he would say or do If it was the other way around. “I too could speak like you, If I were in your place. I could compose words against you And shake my head at you. “I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.” (Job 16:4-5) This sounds a lot like what we wish others would say or do for us when we are hurting. I am reminded of this scene from the movie “We bought a Zoo.“ Where the father and son are finding it hard to know how to communicate with each other in their grief and sorrow. This was the suggestion they came up with to help with that. Dylan Mee: I never know what to say to you. Benjamin Mee: I'm the same way. Why don't we just tell each other what we wish the other guy would say? Dylan Mee: "I'm sorry I brought you out to the sticks. "Benjamin Mee: "You're a great dad." [both Dylan and Benjamin laugh] I feel like this echo’s Job’s words where we see he is literally giving his friends a hint or clue of what he really needs. How often we long for someone to get it, to know what we really need. What hurting people need the most is love, acceptance, and encouragement, not arguments and accusations. Sometimes God plants people in our lives to be there for us in the most perfect way, to be just exactly what we need. Like the 4 friends of the paralytic man who were wonderfully determined to take the love for their friend and put It into action. “When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.” (Mark 2:1-4). Wow! Just imagine what this must have been like. I wonder how they were able to get their friend up on the rooftop. what their journey was like on the way there. And the joy and excitement they must have all felt when Jesus healed him. What a gift! God knows exactly what is needed to reach our hurting hearts. Sometimes He sends us a friend who is a "kindred spirit". A friend who knows and understands us in a very unique way. One you know you could be friends with for the rest of your life. Who you can be serious or lighthearted with; laugh with, but also cry with, and talk about anything and everything with. Like David and Jonathan who were one in spirit. “Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt.” (1 Sam 18:1–4).

Wow! This gives new meaning to the words “He would give you the clothes off his back and shoes off his feet” … and even his own armor like Jonathan did for David! Can you imagine loving your father and your friend, and one of them wanting to kill the other? What a challenge this could pose just to not have divided loyalties! Yet as we read the chapters, we see that Jonathan was honorable in being loyal to both. He sought to protect David by warning him, and speaking to his father on his behalf. What an awkward and difficult conversation to have to have, especially with your own parent! I can’t imagine it. Jonathan was definitely a man of valor and of great integrity. Loving David as himself; just like Jesus taught us to do in Luke 10:27. Can you imagine David and Jonathan’s guy talk? Lol How’s the weather in the palace? Or in this case, how’s the mood of your father? (is he still wanting to kill me?). “Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David. So Jonathan told David saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now therefore, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; if I find out anything, then I will tell you.” Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial to you. For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?” Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” (1 Samuel 19:1–6) Friends, family in time of need.

“A friend is there to help, in any situation, and relatives are born to share our troubles.” (Proverbs 17:17) A friend will help you fight off your enemies. Be loyal to the very end. Share their last dollar or morsel of food to make sure you are cared for and are okay. Or like Ruth did for Naomii – give up everything to follow you anywhere. ^“But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.”  When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” (Ruth 1:16–19).

Friends and family will  give you a place to stay like how, “Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home. (Luke 1:56)

Believe in you when no one else would. Like Barnabas risking his own life to help Saul. “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”

A true friend will roll up their sleeves, jump in and get the job done. Never giving it a second thought. Always looking for ways to bless and to help. To speak life and be instruments of His love. Like Onesiphorus was for Paul. ^“The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.” (2 Timothy 1:16–18) “A Tangible Savior”- Job cried out for a mediator, for an advocate. For someone to understand, for someone real to touch him, and meet him in his world of suffering - where friends left off, fall short or cannot take us any further, reach any deeper or meet our needs - those needs that only God can meet. Everything ultimately pointing us back to Him; The One, who is the great I AM - The Becoming One - who becomes all that we need for us. Where do you go when you’re hurting this badly? There is only one place to go, and that we can go. To Jesus Christ. The one who was broken for us. Broken in every way a person could/ can be broken. Job said now I see - now I know….

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You;” (Job 42:5) Where can we go Lord? You alone have the words of eternal life. You alone are our help and hope. You are the ultimate comforter and the One who makes all things possible. Even when we cannot see how. You are our “Tangible Savior” Jesus. The One who became like one of us, - to suffer and feel what we feel - to be our compassionate high priest who understands.

And the One who has done the craziest, most wonderful act by a friend ever when You laid down Your life for our hurting hearts and souls; redeeming us when we were lost.