Silence

And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
Job 2:13
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Silence
In the wake of tragedy there are often not words to be found.  What do you tell someone who has just suffered through a horrific loss? What words could possibly bring comfort in such a time?  This is the reality facing Job’s friends as they come to his side.  They sit for the customary period of mourning of seven days in silence so tragic is Job’s plight.  So, what are we to do in these situations? What words of comfort can we offer?  Often times in the immediate aftermath, nothing can be said.  Just being with the person is what is needed.  This is called a ministry of presence.  But it cannot be the only thing we do.  We cannot remain silent forever.  And thankfully we don’t have to think of our own original thoughts to help the suffering.  God has provided His full testimony in the Scriptures.  There are without a doubt many Bible verses which bring comfort in times of grief, including from the book od Job itself, see 19:25.  But the Bible is simply not a collection of pithy and insightful sayings, but it is in fact God’s testimony to the salvation of His fallen creation.  It is God’s official record of His redemption of mankind through the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus Christ.  These Words are to never remain silent.  They are to be shouted on every occasion.  The Good News of Jesus Christ crucified for you is the Word which needs to shatter the silence of an unbelieving world.  It is the Word which should be written on your hearts and minds so that when tragedy does strike, you are not left in silence, even when no words are spoken.