Choose your friends wisely

“Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.” (Job 2: 11-13)

Job was in a bad situation. His friends thought he was being punished for being secretly ungodly. Job thought he was being destroyed by the devil. He didn’t know that God was about to double his life’s blessing.

Job was wrong about what was happening to him. God had to explain to Job just how big He was. God told Job that it was He who laid the foundations of the earth. Job had finite-thinking. Like Job we can all get caught up in our own situations and circumstances. And like Job, they can be life-threatening. But the life of our faith is what is most important. Always speak the word of God and presume nothing.

Be careful of who you allow to speak into your life. Surround yourselves with people who speak the Word. The worst thing you can allow to happen is a faithless person to speak over you at the beginning of a trial in your life. Maybe they don’t mean to speak negative words, but we must be intentional about our faith. God gave us treasure in earthen vessels and it is our job to protect our faith life.

Before you listen to the advice of a so-called friend, pray and ask God for a right-now word. Be ready to receive what He gives you and then like Job, pray for your friends.