"Miserable Comforters You All Are" - Job 16:2

Wow. I was reading through half of Job today. And honestly, I thought to myself why were Job's friends wrong? I think this is quite relevant to events that have happened recently. My heart breaks for those around me, when I see them suffering and sometimes in my eyes making questionable decisions. I'm so quick to judge and give my opinions, but I realize today that I must be quick to hold my tongue, reflect, and be certain that anything that comes out of my foolish mouth is grounded in the Word. I think I'm so easily discouraged and am a source of discouragement to others because my words and actions are improper and twisted versions of God's truth that He has blessed us with. I pray for compassion and further understanding of the Word of God, so that I can be used to further God's kingdom rather than hindering it.

I often look to man to seek comfort, to seek acceptance. Been struggling with this kind of heart, even today actually as I was coming home from work.

John 14:16 from the NIV (I'm usually an ESV guy but for relevance I have to sellout to the NIV for now) ->

¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Counselor = Comforter = Holy Spirit. It's amazing how I can go from mindless reading to finding the answer to my struggles. The more I read, the more I am in awe, the more I am blessed. No book is more difficult to grasp, yet no book in this world makes more sense. But it's not enough if I'm not growing, not bearing fruit. So I seek the Counsel of the Spirit, hoping and praying that I will mature in my walk. I seek more more more. Thank you Jesus.