Sometimes just being there is enough

https://odb.org/2026/03/13/sitting-with-the-suffering

Job 2: 7-13 NIV 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’ 10 He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish[a] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. 11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathise with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognise him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then 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’s friends saw his suffering up close too. These three guys are often—fairly!—criticised for their later poor treatment of Job. But it’s easy to forget that, initially, they simply sat with him: “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 2:13). Jobs’ friends remind us that when someone we love is hurting, it’s our presence—our being there, whether we speak or not—that often matters most. Their example reminds us that even though we may not always know what to say, simply sitting with someone in their suffering may be the greatest gift we can give. (Adam R. Holz, Our Daily Bread 13th March 2026)

Today’s ODB article on Job’s suffering and his 3 friends is interesting in the sense that being with someone may by itself be an encouragement. Sometimes when someone is grieving, our words may not be enough to be of real comfort or we may end up saying the wrong things or we may fail to read the room properly. We may be insensitive and thus it is sometimes better to be quiet, but be there nevertheless.

In the case of Job whom God allowed Satan to afflict with sores all over his body, his 3 friends visited to comfort him. No one said a word for seven days and seven nights. They just sat there on the ground with him for that period of time. It was remarkable that anyone could maintain silence for such a long time, what more all four of them! Not for an hour or two, but for seven days and seven nights. That’s a total of 168 hours!

I recall having done something similar with someone who had just lost his younger brother. I just hugged him and sat down with him. We made some small talk and after 15 mins or so, I left. Not total silence, but I was there with him in his deepest moment of grief. Words weren’t sufficient as no words could have comforted him except the assurance of God that his brother was with Jesus. Unfortunately, in this case, his brother was not a believer in Christ Jesus.

Being there can be a very powerful tool. When someone is going through difficult times, just being there along side may sometimes be enough. It may well be so impactful. “I know that someone is there with me as I go through these tough times. That is very encouraging. At least I have one friend in this whole wide world, someone who is with me through thick and thin”.

Often we need not do anything or even say anything. We just need to be there. To have a cup of coffee or a mug of beer. Just to chill and spend some time with that person. We would have proven, at least, that we are not stingy with our time. That can sometimes be the least we could do for God in that situation. Sometimes just being there is enough!