Discouraging Comfort Series

Emilie Lorning in her novel, Swift Waters, tells the story of a

young single pastor who fell in love with a beautiful young woman in

his congregation. She learned to play the chimes in the tower of the

church, and when she learned the pastor's favorite hymn, she would

play it frequently. There was great difficulty for either of them to

communicate how they felt about each other, and so the relationship

did not develop.

It took a calamity to bring them together. The community was

struck by a sudden flood. She was caught in the church and had to

flee to the tower for safety. As darkness fell, a great searchlight

moved about illuminating the flooded city. As she followed the light,

she spotted her lover rescuing a family from the roof of a nearby

home. The light moved on, but when it returned she saw the last

child put in the boat, but her lover sinking in total exhaustion. His

thoughts were that he had done his best, and now, since there was no

one who needed him, he was ready to die.

Meanwhile back in the church tower it dawned on her that she

could do something. She sprang to the controls, and sent out over

the waters the notes of his favorite hymn.

O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come;

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home.

When this message in music reached his ears, he knew whose hand

was at the controls. A new surge of strength filled his being, and he

swam to safety to find life and a love that even flood waters could

not quench. This is not only a good love story, it illustrates the

tremendous power of encouragement. A drowning man can be

saved by encouragement. It can make the hopeless hopeful, and the

despairing feel like living again.

Encouragement can spur men on to tasks they would never do

without it. D.L. Moody told of a fireman climbing up a burning

building to rescue a child. The wind swept flames came so near he

wavered, and he considered giving up, but someone in the crowd

below said, "Give him a cheer." The crowd roared its

encouragement, and with fresh courage the fireman went on to save

the child. In the day of judgment, said Moody, those who did the

cheering shall in no wise lose their reward. To be an encourager is

to be in God's will.

The great Dr. F. B. Meyer said, if he had his ministry to live over

again, he would preach more sermons of encouragement to God's

people. Its a shame that Eliphaz did not hear Dr. Meyer before he

went off to visit Job. If anyone ever needed the rejuvenation that

encouragement can give, it was Job. Unfortunately, none of the

three friends of Job had the gift of encouragement. If they did, it

was well hidden. Job was drowning in a sea of lonely despair, but

instead of hearing the lovely music of encouragement, Job heard

only the discord of criticism. The result is, Job is not a love story,

because even though all of the characters in the drama are friends,

they are empty of sympathy, and so there is seldom heard an

encouraging word, and so the skies are just cloudy all day. The

saying, "With friends like that who needs enemies?" Must have

originally been a reference to Job's friends.

Nothing hinders growth and achievement more in the Christian

life than does discouragement. It is one of Satan's most effective

tools for fruit reduction in the life of a believer. The fruit of the

Spirit can only grow in the sunlight of encouragement. This being

so, the book of Job makes clear that one of life's greatest tragedies is

that believers do not comfort and encourage one another, but rather

are often discouraging. That is what we see Job's friends being to

him. The paradox is, they did it by using that which is true.

Commentator after commentator on the book of Job is impressed

with the eloquence of Eliphaz. He is a master theologian. He has a

profound grasp of the principles of life. So much of what he says is

excellent material for expounding on the glory and majesty of God.

Why then does God call him foolish at the end of the book?

Because he misapplies his wisdom. He says the right thing, but

always in the wrong place, and to the wrong person. Truth out of

context can become folly. This explains why something that is true

does not necessarily encourage us. Being true is not enough. Ideas

must fit the need, or their truthfulness is of little value. There are millions

of things that are true, and even important, but they are not