6/29 Job 2:13

¹³ And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

When calamity struck Job, his three closest friends came to console him. At first they did the right thing; except for their weeping with him, they were silent (Job 13:5). What can you say to a person whose children were killed? Of all Job's losses, that had to be the most painful. His physical affliction only added to it.

Then they began to offer suggestions. They started advising him to confess his hidden sin. They did not know that this was a heavenly battle between Satan and God. None of them guessed that what was going on had its source in the heavenly realm. Silence and weeping with him would have been their best gift, but their advice only added to his pain. He had already searched his heart. He knew he wasn't perfect, but he also knew this was not punishment from the hand of God.

When we go to comfort our friends in need, remember that advice in a time of pain can sometimes merely add to the pain. The best comfort you can give is merely to be there to weep with them and to pray for the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Consider: There is still a heavenly war raging over the souls of men. Just as God allowed Job to be tested and refined, so we may be tested as well. The silent comfort of the concerned presence of a friend and his or her prayers can mean more than any words could express. We may not understand what God allows, but we can trust His heart.