The story is told of a man who went to his pastor for prayer. “Pastor,” the man began, “I’m worried about my hearing.”
The pastor was a man of action and he immediately reacted like a mighty warrior. Laying his hands on the parishioner’s head, he turned his eyes toward the heavens and called out to the Lord. “Father,” he cried, “I pray for my brother’s ears, that by the blood of Jesus, they would be healed and his capacities would be fully restored.” He then shouted a mighty “Amen” and looked deeply into the man’s eyes. “How are you?” he asked, “is everything going to be all right now?”
The man who had just received the prayer was stunned but, after a moment he managed to dig up an answer. “Well, I don’t know,” he replied, “my hearing isn’t until next Thursday.”
The pastor in the fictional story didn’t hear his congregant out, he simply began to act on his own assumptions without waiting for a detailed explanation of his complaint. On this I have myself been guilty, offering advice at the drop of hat, sometimes for no better reason than that I wanted to hear myself offer advice.
In these verses, Job aptly accuses Eliphaz and his other friends of doing the very same thing to him, offering “correction” while treating Job’s complaint as little more than a passing breeze. Sometimes, when we are low, all we need is the silent presence of a beloved ally (Prov. 17:17); someone who will silently listen to our sighs without comment, offering only the gift of a sympathetic, if not empathetic ear. In times like this we are offered the opportunity to bring the same comfort to others that God has also given to us (2 Cor. 1:3–4) and the good news is that such an offering may well lift a beloved child of God from the deepest throes of despair.
Vince Hartford
Extended Scripture: Job 6–7 (NIV)
