I have a friend whose beautiful wife recently went to be with Jesus due to cancer. After the funeral some people who were well-meaning said some stupid things to him. I will let you read those statements of no worth in his upcoming book 'Stupid Things People Say When You're Grieving.'
This situation of grief in their lives and in our church and in my heart prompted me to read Job this summer. This morning I read the first part of Job 13.
In Job 13:4-5, Job says this to his friends who have been spouting off reasons why God must not be happy with Job because they wrongly extrapolate that God prospers people who are in his good books and causes the wicked ones to suffer. They were trying to get Job to just confess what his personal sin was which caused this problem in his life so he could get God's blessing again and move on from this tragedy.
Job says, "3 Surely, I wish to speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue and reason my case with God [that He may explain the conflict between what I believe of Him and what I see of Him]."
In other words, I don't get this. But neither do you.
He continues, "4 But you are forgers of lies - you defame my character most untruthfully - you are physicians of no value and have no remedy to offer, 5 oh that you would altogether hold your peace! Then you would evidence wisdom and you might pass for wise men."
Lord, do not let us slip into the stupidity of being like Job's friends, defaming the character of those suffering as a way of trying to explain a reason for their tragedy - thus becoming people who think themselves physicians and all we end up doing is becoming quack psychologists / theologians who are physicians of no value who have no remedy to offer.
'Nuff Said.
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