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Day 6 – Persuasion Job 5 Persuasive speeches and the people who give them are as numerous as the stars in the sky. People would have us believe just about everything that comes into their imagination. If someone told us convincingly the sky is purple, we’d believe them, even though we look up and see it’s blue. In many countries people are getting ready to elect their next president or leaders. Speeches are made by all the candidates on what they hope to achieve if we elect them. Who knows, one of them might even keep his or her promises. It’s up to us to decide whether they will or not when we mark our ballots. However, history shows people make a lot of promises but fail to follow up on them. The same is true for any speech you hear, including all those commercials who want you to buy their product. Every speech has a grain of truth in it. You need to hunt for it in many cases, but it’s there, hidden with all the other rhetoric you hear throughout your day. Eliphaz’ speech is full of persuasive rhetoric. You will find enough truth to help persuade you he has Job’s best interests at heart. However, such is not the case. He starts out by telling Job he won’t get anyone to help him. Job 5:1 Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn? 2 For wrath kills the foolish man, and envy slays the silly one. 3 I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation. 4 His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. 5 Whose harvest the hungry eats up, and takes it even out of the thorns, and the robber swallows up their substance. (KJV) As you can see, he even mocks him by calling him foolish. Obviously he knew Job just lost all his children. Eliphaz then slips in some ‘truth’ regarding God and His dealings with man. However, they are said tongue and cheek to disguise the falseness of his consolation to Job. We don’t need friends like Eliphaz. We need people who will stand by us, put their arms around us and pray with us in our times of trouble, not tell us we’re getting what we deserve because there is some hidden sin in our lives we need to confess. What kind of friend are you? Do you console with words of wisdom and understanding, or do you tell your friend what a loser he or she is? Let’s pray: Father, thank you for giving me Your words of wisdom that direct my feet in the way I need to go, and give words of comfort when I need them. Thank you for loving me and letting me know how much I mean to You by sending people to me with true words of comfort in my time of need. Help me discern true comfort from those who bolster themselves and care nothing about me and my needs. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 24 February 2016 by Valerie Jean Routhieaux All scripture is King James Version, edited by me into common English. Image courtesy of Pixabay