TOO MUCH GRACE? I DON'T THINK SO!

Monday, December 12, 2011

When Job's three friends...heard about all the troubles that had

come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together

by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

                                      Job 2:11

We all need a little help from our friends.

I especially like two words that leap out to me from this Scripture: sympathize and comfort.

Job needed both sympathy and comfort.

Did his friends succeed in giving it to him? NO!

ELIPHAZ put great faith in TRADITION (15:18-19).

BILDAD was a  LEGALIST (8:4).

ZOPHAR was the MOST DOGMATIC of the three (11:6).

Job needed mercy. He needed grace. He didn't get it from his friends.

I am pleased our preacher has preached on the theme of grace all year. Too much grace? I don't think so!

I have known many like these three men. Right or wrong I have always looked upon them as just good ol boys.

Good ol boys with some good points but too narrow to be of any help. 

They talk a good game but nothing helps. They offer no hope. Grace would have brought some of the comfort they wanted to give.

Want to be a good friend? Want to offer sympathy? Do you want to comfort?

Try showing a little grace.