288 Thursday, October 15, 2009

288 Job 6 – 8; Matthew 14

Let the games begin or in this case let the discussion begin. Job's friends had been silent for seven days and I would think that later on he wished they would have been silent for another seven days. You will see some friends trying to help with logic and truth, but not doing it in love. In Ephesians 4:15 we learn that we are suppose to speak the truth in love.
So we will witness some controversy instead of healing and help. Hear what a wise man once wrote:

“But what Satan could not do with all his Sabeans, and all his Chaldeans, and all his winds from the wilderness to help him, that he soon did with the debating approaches and the controversial assaults of Eliphaz, and Zophar, and Bildad, and Elihu. Oh, the unmitigable curse of controversy!” Alexander Whyte

Job's friend Eliphaz answers Job's words instead of answering Job's heart. A wise and good friend will know when to be very truthful and then will know when to have a softer approach. If a person does not learn this they can easily stir up controversy. Controversy does not heal and it does not help in situations like these. Ask God to help you to be a wise friend.

There was confusion over the identity of Jesus. Herod had beheaded John the Baptist, but when he heard about what Jesus was doing he thought John had come back from the dead. When Jesus had heard of the death of John he tried to slip off by himself, but was soon discovered. Jesus is in own grief and now he has been spotted by a crowd. Here is Christ's response,

Matthew 14:14 (MSG) 14 When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick. He was overcome with pity.

Christ had mercy on them. Sometimes we have to give mercy even when we have very little to give. Today ask Christ to help you give to someone that needs some mercy. Mercy may come in kind words, a word of blessing for them, a time of prayer for them, or it could be giving them some money. May the Lord have mercy on us all. Amen