The older I get the more I realize I know very little about why anything happens or doesn’t happen. I know everything happens for a reason though. Whenever I read the book of Job I am always struck with how far off my reasoning might be regarding why things happen or don’t happen. I’m reminded of the sermons I’ve heard over the years about affliction and suffering. Sermons that remind us Job was a righteous man who suffered great loss and affliction through no fault of his own. I believe one of the intentions of these types of sermons, is to bring comfort to us in times of suffering. Indeed, if we’re paying attention when we read the Bible we’ll notice it’s full of people who only strove to do good and suffered because of it.

There are many ways we can comfort others in hard times. When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went to Job to comfort him they saw how great his suffering was so they sat with him for seven days, mourning with him and saying nothing (Job 2:11-13). I think we can learn a lot from the friends of Job because most of the time our words are inadequate to others in times of mourning.

About five years or so after becoming a Christian, I had a very close friend die. The Lord had brought the two of us together for the last year of his life, but neither of us knew this at the time. We started studying the Bible together and would meet outside of the church at least once a week to pray, discuss the Bible and life. After a few months of meeting together, he was diagnosed with cancer. I remember, at the time, having a very high regard for my faith believing that my friend would be healed. However, after months of battling cancer, he died.

When my friend died I didn’t want to hear anything from anyone. Over the years I’ve looked back and I realize my understanding of my faith wasn’t where I thought it was, because the Lord did heal my friend. He not only healed him but He called him home freeing him from the agony of this world, and I will see my friend again. While my pain was nothing like Job’s, I do understand that sometimes it’s better to be silent with a person and mourn with them, rather than trying to comfort them with inadequate words. Regardless of how heartfelt they may be.

Do you know God? God knows you and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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