Good morning, it’s Friday, November 7th, 2025.
Pop quiz: how many friends did Job have? Most people say three: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. But at this point in the story, everyone has run out of words. Job maintains his innocence and longs to speak with God. His three friends keep insisting suffering must always mean punishment — but they have no new arguments left.
Now it’s time for the forgotten friend to speak.
Today's Reading:
Job 31,32; Galatians 5,6
Scripture
“Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.” (Job 32:4)
Observation
Elihu has been present the entire time — listening, not interrupting.
He waits out of respect, but also because he understands something the others missed: Wisdom doesn’t come from age. It comes from God.
“It is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.” (Job 32:8)
Elihu doesn’t accuse Job like the others, nor does he defend their arguments. Instead, he introduces a new and needed truth:
Suffering is not always punishment. Sometimes God uses it to shape us.
And when God finally speaks, He rebukes Job.
He rebukes Eliphaz and his two friends.
But He does not rebuke Elihu.
He is like John the Baptist in the book of Job — he prepares the way for the voice of the Lord.
Application
In life, the loudest voice isn’t always the wisest voice.
Sometimes the most mature person in the room is the one who listens first. It’s the one who waits. And speaks only when led by the Spirit.
It’s funny, but the one everyone overlooks ends up speaking the words aligned with God’s heart… I’d rather be forgotten but close to the heart of God than loud, obnoxious, and unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. I want to speak truth—but truth spoken in the right spirit and at the right time.
So I will:
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Slow down
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Listen longer
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And let God shape my words before I speak them
Prayer
Lord, help me be patient like Elihu. Teach me to listen before I speak. Let my words be guided by Your Spirit and not my urgency. Give me wisdom that comes from You alone. Help me to be like that forgotten friend. Amen.
-Chris Kiriakos