Job 2:11-13 says, “11Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. 12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. 13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.”

 

When Job lost his family, home, abundance, everything, his three close friends showed up, and they did not even say a word for seven days straight. Sometimes, it is good to just hear and listen what someone who is struggling has to say rather than always speak and give advice. Some people just need to get it off of their chest and need someone they can vent to. Honestly, it would have been better if Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar never said a single word!

 

Regardless of how young or mature of a Christian a person is, it is very profitable for men and women to be surrounded by godly people of influence, especially people of prayer and wisdom so that they can receive good and godly counsel. Men need to surround themselves with greater and stronger men. When you play a specific sport, such as basketball, if you play with people who are better than you, you will eventually become better. If you do not, and you surround yourself with the wrong kind of people, who do not hold you accountable and only seek for their own good, then they will only bring you down that much more. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” Proverbs 19:20, 21 says, “20Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 21There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” Proverbs 20:5 says, “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.”

 

For example, have you ever been in a situation where you were dating someone, and everyone tried to counsel you and warn you to not be with or date that person, but you believed you had it all figured out and you knew what was best? Your best friend tells you, “She is trouble.” Your parents tell you, “There is something not right about her.” Yet, you did it anyways because she is just so perfect for you! Then, in due time, you see how that everyone was right, and you are now filled with regret, wishing you never knew or dated them before. You can surround yourself with wise counselors and people who can hold you accountable, but if you do not take heed or into consideration their advise, what good does it do? If you want to be established and become wiser at the end of it all, follow the counsel of the LORD. It will last forever!

 

Receiving and abiding by wise counseling can be the distinguishing factor between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is when you learn from your own experiences. Wisdom is when you learn from someone else’s. You can gain a great deal of wisdom by listening to older, more mature people who have been there and done that so you can avoid committing the same mistakes they made. Psalms 1:1-3 says, “1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” You can surround yourself with people who are ungodly, in sin and are filled with anger, spite and jealousy, but that will only bring a bad influence on your life and make you worse. However, if you delight yourself in His word, meditating on it, you will make good decision, be successful and become prosperous in everything that you put your hands into doing. You will function in a continuous source of revival, firmly rooted and established in the faith, and you will not dry up, but rather bear fruit that remains! It all is derived by taking heed to godly counsel and advise.

 

After those seven days were finished, instead of seeking to comfort, edify and encourage Job, they, through human reasoning and experience, tried to diagnose the root of his problems and then solve them. They blamed him for what he was suffering when they were never enlightened to the truth. They were not present when the sons of God presented themselves to God and Satan came also among them. They did not listen to God and Satan’s conversation concerning Job. This was just the ultimate test of faith. He had not sinned, but he was faithful to God. They invented false accusations against him, as though they were better than him and that they had dealt with the magnitude of problems that Job was facing now. Since he was suffering the judgment that the wicked people should be, he must have done something wrong right? That was their conclusion, and they refused to think of it any other way. However, Job held fast to his integrity in patience, although he was miserable and discouraged (James 5:10, 11). He even blamed his friends for vexing his soul and reproaching him multiple times. Job 19:1-3 says, “1Then Job answered and said, 2How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? 3These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.” What he needed was encouragement and godly counsel; not self-proclaimed prophets of destruction! You do not need problem solvers, but encouragers and prayer warriors. They accomplish so much more than people who only condemn, betray and belittle.