Job 16:1-5 “Then Job answered, I have heard many such things. Sorry comforters are you all. Is there no limit to windy words? Or what plagues you, that you answer? I too, could speak like you. If I was in your place. I could compose words against you and shake my head at you. I could strengthen you with my mouth and the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.” Jobs friends all came to him and provided their interpretation of what Job needed to do to overcome. I chuckled when I read “sorry comforters are you all.” As Job was suffering his friends gave advice as if he was being punished for his sins. Job was a man in which God was pleased. He gave Job as an example of someone who walked in righteousness. In Job 1:8 “and the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, for there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Now, Satan tried to tell God it was because God had put a hedge about Job.” God allowed Satan to punish Job to show that Job would continue to seek Him even in adversity. How many times have we judged someone going through trials and tribulations? Have we said to them, turn from your sins and God would restore you? Have we been “sorry comforters” to other Christians? Job’s friends knew Job was righteous and thought there had to be some sin that Job had done to cause his sufferings. Job reminds us that we can compose words and shake our heads at those struggling or we can strengthen them with our mouths and the solace of our lips to lessen the pain. Throughout the New Testament we are told that love is the greatest gift. If we love one another as Christ loved us, we reach more people. Jesus was tempted to bow down to Satan and all the pain he would suffer for us would be gone. Matthew 4:1-11 says Jesus was tempted by the devil and questioned to prove He was the Son of God. Each time Jesus told the devil “It is written”. In Matthew 16:21-23, “From that time Jesus Christ began to show his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer man things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised up on the third day. And Peter took him aside to rebuke Him, saying “God forbid it Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said, “Get behind Me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not setting your mind on God’s interest but man’s.” When those who are walking in Christ, are suffering, we must not be sorry comforters. But ask God to give them the strength they need to endure. We must be led by the Holy Spirit to recognize when the enemy is coming against us. And just as Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan, you are a stumbling block to Me”, we must set our minds on the interest of God and not on man’s. We have never been told that our temporal life would be without trouble. Our promise is that there awaits an eternal life, if we stand firm in faith. God help me not be a sorry comforter but help me to be an encouragement to others. 1 Timothy 4:16 says “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching, persevere in these things for as you do this you will insure salvation both to yourself and for those who hear you.” I wondered why insure in this sentence in my Bible (New American Standard) was not spelled “ensure” and thought at first it was a typo. However, when I looked up the difference between ensure and insure, it said that ensure means make sure something happens, while insure means to protect against loss, damage or injury. I understand other versions say persist, persevere, continue and etc., the point it is making is that if we pay close attention to ourselves and our teachings, we bring salvation not just to ourselves but to others. Do not be the sorry comforter to Christians and non-Christians, let us strengthen with our mouths and the solace of our lips could lessen the pain.