11Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
Job has hit rock bottom. He has lost his wealth, job, ten children, and now has lost his health. He has every reason to be mad at God. His wife even told him to curse God and die. Things have to be pretty bad for a wife to wish her husband was dead just so the suffering would stop. Now his three best friends in the world have come to bring him comfort and friendship in his time of need. When they arrive they can’t believe their eyes. It is much worse than they had anticipated. They show all the outward signs of mourning and loss. They are perhaps experiencing their own loss; they have lost their friend Job. He is different now. And then they just sit with Job and say nothing. There is nothing that could be said to help, so they say nothing. This is the best thing most of us can do when someone is hurting this much. They just need us to be present with them. Words always fall short in moments like these. This is some great advice. When suffering is great, let silence be your greatest companion. Let them break the silence. Be with them. Keep quiet. Don’t try to pull them out of their deep sorrow. Instead, join them in the sorrow. It can be very lonely at the bottom of the barrel. Are you willing to go to the bottom of the barrel and be with someone who is suffering? Jesus often reached out to those at the bottom, the rejected and the outcasts. Are you willing to sit and be silent?
The Arnold Journey 