Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday November 15, 2006

Tim Lindsey sent me a quote from Eddie Cantor that at first glance seems to portray the plight of Job, the man born to troubles as the sparks fly upward. Mr. Cantor wrote:

"He hasn't an enemy in the world, but all of his friends hate him."

The scripture mentions three of Job's 'friends' by name and with 'friends' like these Job needed no enemies. Common sense tells you that Job had more friends, friends he had made over a lifetime of walking with God. And there is the dilemma; when trouble comes, why and where do friends go? The scripture account does not reveal why or where, they simply are NOT with Job in his torment.

There can be much speculation concerning the missing friends of Job, but the one I want to use today is one that has helped me when it seemed I was the most friendless person on earth.

It is natural when going through serious trouble to wonder, "Where are my friends?" And then the more you wonder, the more absent your friends become. Enemies have marked you as some villainous leper, and your friends are nowhere to be found.

Sometimes friends seem to have abandoned you simply because you have been too proud to let them know you need them. I have lost track of the number of my friends who really did not know of my deep dark valley.

Some friends are absent due to the fear of being branded a co-leper. Others are absent for a myriad of reasons. But there is another reason for the absence of most.

In times of trouble a reason for the absenteeism of friends is simply that the Lord withholds friends from you in order to let you learn the blessing of aloneness with God.

When friends leave you alone, they in fact are playing into the hand of God, who is using the trouble to draw you to Himself. I talked with a friend of many years whom I had not seen since before my 'trouble.' Without my asking why, he volunteered, "Larry, I feel I owe you an apology for not running to your side, but during that time I honestly felt the restraining hand of Jesus. I attempted to contact you on a few occasions and failed and then I would pick up the phone get interrupted, and well, you know how these things go. But Larry, I really did pray for you and to this day I do not understand the restraining of the Lord."

I think I do. When God restrains your friends, many of whom do not know each other, there is no conspiracy among them. You are faced with the choice of drinking at the poisonous cistern of bitterness and if you drink of it, you become miserable in your soul. Or you may drink at the fountain of grace. God withholds your friends in order to force you lean upon your best friend, Jesus, the one who sticks closer than a brother. When you get over your petty pouting and really pray for God to bless your friends, forgiving them for any hurtful word or deed, then God will bless you with sweetness of soul, rather than permitting you to be consumed with bitterness.

All of Mr. Cantor's friends, friends may have hated him, but it is more likely God was working.

"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." Job 42:10

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit.

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