Job's friends

Think of Jesus taking our sins and blame to the cross, being stripped of all that he was and yet having no sin of his own. Most of those who followed him had left him. His friend and disciple Judas, betrayed him with a kiss. Peter, as Jesus had predicted, had denied him three times and had fallen away in sorrow. The greatest friend we have is God. So no matter what your friends do, we have God and we love God and our friends. Our friends are human with human weaknesses as we have. Job's suffering was not helped by his well meaning friends, but we can learn from this ourselves. God's love is so much greater than any feeling or emotion, lust,  or misunderstanding that we may suffer from.

Job 16:20  My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

As Jesus wept for our sorrows and has experienced cruelty, he cares for you who trust in him.

1Peter 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Job 19:14  My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

His closest relatives had failed him because of unbelief. I myself remember those times that I lay in the hospital and my best friends never once visited or made contact with me. We need to be a friend especially when a friend is in need.

James 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Job 32:3  Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

Do not bring condemnation to a friend. God was upset with Job's three friends, but Job had never spoke against God, he remained faithful. We are not to be faithful to other people by following them in sin, this is wrong. We are to be faithful to God, keeping our self from sin. In this way we becoming a true friend to others.

Job 42:10  And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

A great truth here, when we pray for others we receive favor from God. One night in our Internet Bible chat room we had a woman who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She was a mother of four children, she was soon to die and her concern was for her children. On this night we prayed and the woman did not pray for her own needs, but for the needs of her children and for their care. Something happened as she was praying...she felt a warmth from here head down to her feet. God was touching her and healing her. She went to the doctor the next week and they found no trace of the cancer that was there before. Her unselfish prayers for her children brought the compassion of God upon herself. Praying for others brings healing to ourselves. Unforgiveness is not good. Experience the love and power of God in your life, be faithful to God and receive Jesus, who is the only way to God and forgiveness. He is our eternal life and joy. He is our savior from our sins and separation from God. 

2Cor 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.