Your Friend, God: Week 4
Job 29:4 NIV: Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,
Job 1:1 NLT: There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.”
Job 42:7-8 NLT: 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. 8 So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. 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.”
Suffering Does Not Negate Friendship with God—He Suffers With Us
“With so good a Friend and Captain ever present, Himself the first to suffer, everything can be borne. He helps, He strengthens, He never fails, He is the true Friend.” – Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582)
Hebrews 4:15 NIV: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Hebrews 5:8 NLT: Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.
“… the face of him who was bearing and was yet to bear their griefs and carry their sorrows, who is now bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows; the face of the Son of God… who suffered unto the death, not that men might not suffer, but that their suffering might be like his, and lead them up to his perfection…” –George MacDonald (1824–1905), Unspoken Sermons
Jesus hath many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His Cross. He hath many seekers of comfort, but few of tribulation. He findeth many companions of His table, but few of His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, few are willing to undergo anything for His sake. Many follow Jesus that they may eat of His loaves, but few that they may drink of the cup of His passion… But if Jesus hide Himself and withdraw from them a little while, they fall either into complaining or into too great dejection of mind. But they who love Jesus for Jesus’ sake, and not for any consolation of their own, bless Him in all tribulation and anguish of heart as in the highest consolation. And if He should never give them consolation, nevertheless they would always praise Him and always give Him thanks… Oh what power hath the pure love of Jesus, unmixed with any gain or love of self! … Where shall be found one who is willing to serve God altogether for nought? – Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471), The Imitation of Christ
