Silence: Unbroken and Broken

With the kind of friends Job had, he probably needed no additional enemies. When these three friends heard of Satan’s attack on Job’s character, property, children, and health, they made a visit to him. The first week of the visit was most interesting. “They sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:13). I confess that I have often not known what to say in the face of grief, but seven days of silence is a bit much, especially from friends. Again, it is sometimes enough to simply be present without speaking. But seven days? And when they spoke, Job must have wished for another seven days of silence from them. What shall we make of this? How about this: there is a time to visit and a time to end visitation; there is a time for silence and a time to speak; it is better to remain silent than say the wrong thing. And what shall we do when friends grieve? Pray! Pray for sensitivity; for the right time to visit, and the right time to leave; for the proper words to speak, for the right time to speak them; for the ministry of silence that is not interrupted with inappropriate words.

Join me this week in remembering these global concerns:
• Rejoice in the 104th anniversary of the Macau Baptist Church and pray for evangelistic meetings accompanying the anniversary celebrations.
• In-Home Care Kits being delivered to Zambia have hit a snag. Customs has demanded several original documents before they will consider duty free status. Pray for the soon release of these Kits and their delivery to homes of the needy.
• Pray for the PHCafe for Russian youth sponsored by the All Nations Church in Vancouver, Canada. Twenty attended the first meeting.
• Pray for the Live Nativity and Children´s Pavilion to be held in Portugal and operated by six volunteer groups. Ask especially that hearts will be open and minds cleared to receive the Good News, as a potential 10,000 witnesses will be given.
• Give thanks for the first Scripture Use Workshop among the Omaande people of Cameroon, in anticipation of the arrival of the New Testament in their heart language.