“I also could speak as you do, if your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, and shake my head at you; but I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.” (Job 16:4-5)
Encouragement – how sweet it is when we receive it – especially if we are facing great pressures or overwhelming trials that threaten to overwhelm us.
But I wonder how often we exercise this special grace, indeed even know what it involves and requires of us to be an encourager.
Job’s complaint to his ‘comforters’ was that they brought no such help to him. They were quick to criticise, when they should have been quick to encourage.
The word “comfort” here means ‘to nod the head sympathetically’ – what a contrast to the mocking posture of “shake my head at you” he alleges they gave him. Their ‘help’ as they saw it really only added to Job’s grief and trouble.
If the situation was reversed and Job was comforter to his friends, he said that though he could he would never treat them as they have treated him. He would have strengthened and comforted them (as he had done in the past for others; Job 4:4; 29:21-23).
‘Sometimes we have to experience misunderstanding from unsympathetic friends in order to learn how to minister to others.’ (W Wiersbe)
As we return to Elijah it is not insignificant that as God sends him out to renewed kingdom activity that He does so in a way to encourage him in it.
Here we learn that at the heart of genuine encouragement are not gentle and kind words, though helpful they may be, but words that point us to God’s grace and His sovereign purposes. These are the kindest words.
Where better than in the house of God’s worship to ponder and cultivate words of grace that we might exercise a ministry of encouragement. It is here that we hear God’s words of grace which bring such sweet encouragement to our souls. May they be multiplied on even after we leave this holy gathering.