Job 16:3 – WHAT EMBOLDENETH THEE
Job 16:3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
When someone tells you a problem that they have, what gives you the confidence to tell them how they can solve their problem? Are you telling others what to do because you like to be in charge and you like to feel important? Or do you have your life centered upon the foundations of God and out of your mouth comes the living words of God to help renew and restore those who are hurting?
Job is confronting his three friends who were supposed to be there and comfort him. Job’s friends are not speaking the truth and they are just opening their mouths to hear themselves speak. Because the words coming out of their mouth are not the truth, their words are vain. Job is asking them what gives them the boldness to answer when they do not have a clue as to what is really going on.
Have you ever had a difficult decision to make where you knew what you were supposed to do, but it was not going to be easy? Maybe God was telling you it was time to quit your job and step out in faith but you were afraid to step out in faith. It is in these difficult times, you need a good friend to listen to the problem that you have. You do not necessarily need them to tell you their opinion of the problem since you really already know what you need to do. You need them to support you in your decision to do the right thing in stepping out in faith.
Job had made a commitment that he was going to trust God during this difficult trial in his life. Job had made a commitment that he was not going to curse God. Job was not going to allow himself to question God’s ability to take away from him the good things that God had first given to him. Job’s friends were not content to allow Job to simply trust God in this problem but instead they tried to pretend that they were some all knowing wise men and they simply compounded the problem.
Just because someone has a problem, it does not mean that they need you to help solve the problem. Maybe they are talking with you to receive your support. A husband can become very frustrated with his wife when every day he comes home and offers solutions on how his wife can solve her problems when the reason she is talking to him is not for solutions but for comfort. We need to take the time to understand what the other person is going through before we open our mouth and spout forth our own wisdom.
It is easy to open your mouth and say whatever comes to our mind. It is a completely different matter to stop and patiently wait to receive wisdom from above so that you can share with others what God desires them to do.
The words of Job’s friends were empty words because they spoke first and did not take the time to really understand what God was doing. As a bystander, you are in an excellent position to see what is going on. Usually, the one who has trouble is too close to his problems and as such, it makes it difficult to make a decision.
The next time someone comes to you and starts sharing their problems with you, you should stop and ask God what HE desires you to share. Be patient and allow the words of God to flow from your mouth. Do not speak if you do not know what God wants you to say. You will be more help to your friend if you make sure that you are speaking the words of God.