Today’s 333 Devotional: “How Will You Answer?”

When Job’s friends came to sit by his side through his present distress, they couldn’t help but heap condemnation upon him.

Job said, “How long will you torment my soul, and break me in pieces with words?” (Job 19:2)

Earlier Job said, “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all! Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer? 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 16:1-5)

Job is once again answering accusation of iniquity given his present state of distress. And what Job is saying is that all these guys are nothing more than a bunch of miserable comforters, or more literally, “comforters of trouble.”

Job said that he could speak the same kind of words back to them, but instead he would choose to use his words to edify, build up, and heal.

The words we speak can either destroy or heal. There is power in our words (Proverbs 18:21).

Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit Jesus was to preach the gospel to the afflicted, not condemn them, to bind up the broken hearted, not to break them further, and to proclaim liberty and freedom to those held captive to sin, not put them into further bondage to the Law (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18).

The church and believers in Jesus Christ must stop being sorry comforters by accusing and backbiting. Instead, we are to bring words of comfort, healing, and freedom.

It’s time we started being the church Jesus intended for us to be, which involves the words we speak, not only in telling people the good news of Jesus Christ and about the Kingdom of God, but also in speaking words that bring healing and joy.