Thankful Thursday: With Friends Like That...

You know the rest: "... who needs enemies?"

I'm thankful for more friends than I can count, none of whom fall into this category. (Because those people are now enemies, haha.) Not so much Job, who's story I've been reading this week. Just when the guy is down and out, you'd think his friends might attempt to share an encouraging word. Or at least one of those platitudes that tend to make the friend feel better, but not so much the sufferer. You know, like "this is all part of God's plan." Absolutely true, but sometimes hard to swallow when in the middle of a terrible experience.

Instead each of Job's friends (and there are several) explain at length that Job must have an incomplete faith or a hidden sin in his life, and that is why God has allowed him to suffer. The best friends will be brave enough to confront you when you need to straighten something out in your life, but these guys were relentless; they couldn't point out Job's shortcoming and they didn't believe him when he said he was right with God.

Tomorrow I'm reading the end of the book, where God finally speaks after 35 heartbreaking chapters of silence. I don't think I've ever read through this entire book before, although I've certainly heard the Sunday School highlights many times. I'm glad that I already know that Job has a happy ending.