God knows what is right
After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! Job 42:7-10
When you go through trials in life and you seek out counsel from others, it will be important that you will get sound godly advice. From the text, God expressed His anger to the three men that provided Job wrong counsel. They provided Job wrong assessment as to why he was going through trials in life and they misled him by providing wrong doctrines about God. They did this with the assumption that they have solid grasp of the knowledge of God. They projected their religious piety as their credential as to why Job should listen to them. They told Job that he was suffering because God was punishing him for his sinful life. This led Job to look down to himself and started to believe what these three men had told him. “O God, you have ground me down and devastated my family. As if to prove I have sinned, you’ve reduced me to skin and bones. My gaunt flesh testifies against me. God hates me and angrily tears me apart. He snaps his teeth at me and pierces me with his eyes” (Job 16:7-9). Job was driven to despair and discouragement in his spirit (17:1). Remember this; Satan will use people that will tout their religious piety and orthodoxy to deceive others into believing incorrect teachings about God and His word. If you are sought to provide advice to a person going through trials in life, at times silence is better than to provide wrong or incorrect counsel. God instructed Job that in spite of what these men did to him that he prays for them. This resulted to spiritual revival to the three men. When Job obeyed God to pray for his accusers, God restored him as well. This is the same command Jesus gave to his followers. “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45). Your intercession for others even in the midst of trials will bring about blessings not only to the ones you prayed for but as well to yourself. Trust God that He knows what He is doing.
Blessings.
