Chapter 4 of the Book of Job
Scripture:
"I got an inspiration secretly, and my ears listened to its subtle voice. ..... A spirit passed in front of me, and the hairs on my body stood upright. " (Job 4:12,15)
Key words:
Got a hint ... A spirit passed by me
Experience:
Who believes in God doesn't want to have more spiritual experiences? Even the world sometimes hopes to experience something wonderful and supernatural. But what is the significance of this experience? If you have ever had a special spiritual experience, what does this experience mean to you?
These experiences may make you see your limitations more clearly, but it may also become your proud capital. It may be a good medicine for you to comfort others, or it may become a sharp knife for you to plunge into others' hearts?
In the face of Job, an elder older than Job's father (see Jn. 15:1), Eliphaz the Teman began his "comfort" work. And his "comfort" is to start with his own spiritual experience. "It was an inspiration to me that a spirit passed by me." Unfortunately, his so-called spiritual experiences did not have any comforting effect, but were the beginning of another round of mental torture for Job!
can your own spiritual experience be used to comfort others? Can't! Not when you take your own experience for granted to interpret others and judge others!
you can't take it for granted that all patients can get this kind of treatment just because you were sick before. Just because you sang a poem when you were unemployed, you can't think that everyone can find a job by singing that poem. You can't assume that everyone can avoid the breakup of the family just because you have saved your partner by waiting patiently.
if you are not a fish, how can you know the joy of fish? If the child is not him, how can we know his suffering?
can your own spiritual experience be used to comfort others? Can! When this spiritual experience really melts into your life and becomes your humble and gentle life style, you will be able to!
This kind of life means that you have an empathy, two ears willing to listen to others' complaints quietly, a mouth willing to pray for each other, and a pair of hands willing to help others with practical actions!
The life that can comfort the suffering people comes from abundant spiritual experience, and the most abundant spiritual experience is that you have experienced suffering yourself! "He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those who suffer from all kinds of troubles with the comfort given by God." (2 Cor. 1:4)
There is a kind of harm, which comes from those "spiritual experiences". There is a kind of comfort, which comes from those who have experienced spiritually. What kind of "spiritual experiencer" would you like to be?
Prayer:
Lord, I wish I could use my own suffering experience to bring real comfort to others. Amen!