Week 2 from Marsha

What I came away with out of Lesson 2 …..

Oh there is plenty to be learned from Job’s continued steadfast love and devotion to God – through not only emotional & financial pain and suffering, but now through the added physical suffering he experienced with painful boils. I suspect since this a woman’s Bible study and most of us are wives, there’s much to be learned about Mrs. Job’s “curse God and die” comment. (that section always makes me chuckle every time I read it. Can’t you just visualize that interaction in the eyes of your mind?) How we wives need to support our husband and encourage him through life’s tough times. (and – losing all your children, your livelihood, and now suffering physical pain would certainly qualify as life’s tough times).

But… what affected me most from this lesson was the beauty and comfort of Job’s friends. How these men, and I suspect they had a busy life too, just dropped everything to come to “keep him company and comfort him.” I don’t know where Teman, Shuhah, and Naamath are but I doubt Southwest Airlines had a direct flight to Uz. So these men had to put out quite an effort to get to Job. And when they saw Job, they mourned deeply – cried out in lament, ripped off their robes, sprinkled dust on their heads as a sign of grief. (Job 2:12). Then, these dear friends of Job, sat with him for seven days and nights without saying a word. They just sat there with their buddy to comfort and support him in his time of heartache and pain.

Here’s what keeps coming to my mind as my lesson from this study: am I that friend to someone? Do I offer that support and encouragement to someone? And even more poignant question: do I look for ways to be a friend to others? I guess if you are participating in this electronic Bible Study it is because you work during the day as I do. Do we look for co-workers who need a friend – someone to bring comfort and concern to them during their tough times? That is my “take away” from this lesson. I will look for people who need a friend – someone to sit with them during their tough time and I will try to be there for them.


** The day Bible study group is hanging onto Lesson 2 for another week and working through the Appendix section. How about we do the same? ** MM