True friends!
Trials and suffering tend to truly reveal who your true friends are. Job had three friends who came to see him when they heard about the misfortune that befell him. They came to provide comfort and sympathy to him. They were appalled when they saw the severe suffering Job was experiencing. They wept and sat with him seven days and seven nights. (Job 2:11-13)
This was truly a sign of great friendship; they did not abandon Job during his hard time. They were there for him.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone who is suffering is to be present, to be there for them. This can be the greatest comfort someone may receive from you.
Do not judge someone’s suffering when you don’t understand the depths of it. Job’s friends began to make judgment calls on him. They thought that his suffering was the payment for his sin. It is like saying what goes around comes around. You must have done something really bad that this calamity has befallen you.
Let’s not forget, Job’s suffering was not due to his sin. His suffering came to test his faithfulness to God. And Job remained faithful to God even in the midst of his suffering.
When your friends are suffering, be there for them; being present in their situation would be better than any counsel you could bring. Do not judge someone’s suffering when you don’t understand the depths of their suffering.