Our awesome friends last Christmas in Hawaii. We miss you!

Scripture
After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.” When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! Job 42:7, 8, 10

Observation
Job was much like us for he was disappointed by friends. When he needed them most to leave, Job’s friends were still there. When all he needed was silence, they kept on talking. We’ve all had friends like that in life.

There are extreme times when God seems passive and aloof that we wrongly expect friends to give what only the Lord can. In those times some friends imagine that they can fill in God’s empty speech bubble and speak for him. As a result, not only does God seem distant but friends can even distort him by their words. We all can relate to that.

Most painful for Job was not just that his friends spoke for God, but they even judged for him as well. They thought they had x-ray vision into Job’s soul and could probe the motives of his heart. We’ve all had friends like that. Those who are closest to us can hurt us most deeply. Job knew that all too well.

But Job was a great friend not just on the upside of friendship but also on the downside. After God had soundly spanked the three, Job did as God asked and prayed for those who had hurt him. We have pages of Job’s speeches written down for us in the Bible, but not one word of this prayer is transcribed for us to read. Yet what Job did in that prayer of blessing proved his greatness more than all of the self-defending words he had ever spoken. Forgiveness is phenomenal because it is such an unhuman action; when we forgive we are acting like God.

Look carefully at what happened next for Job. His reward was doubled. A magnanimous heart toward those who have hurt us opens us to contain more of the blessing of God. Job’s prayer stretched his spirit like shaking out a plastic bag so God could stuff him full with his goodness.

Application
Like Job, I want to continue to remember to pray for those who have disappointed me. Resentment shrivels the heart so that there is no way God can be kind toward me because I don’t have room for his blessing. Forgiveness will open me up to receive what he has planned for me.

Prayer
Father, forgive. Amen.