• 09 Dec, 2025 *

Prompted by verse 10’s “…Job did not sin with his lips” Calvin contrasts thoughts and words. Calvin distinguishes wicked thoughts from wicked reactions. We will have the former, and they are sinful, but we will have them. However, by God’s grace we restrain ourselves from wicked reactions. Mathematically, it seems to me, “wicked thoughts = sin”, but “wicked thoughts < wicked words”.

“If wicked fantasies sometimes come into our minds - since it is impossible for us, as weak as we are, not to experience many evil desires…let us know that we are already guilty before God and need to ask his forgiveness. But let us struggle valiantly and keep those desires under control…”

This is similar to yesterday’s message in which we are exhorted to think carefully before we act.

Next in the passage comes the three friends or comforters. Calvin suggests “we compare those three friends to ourselves”. He springboards from there to discuss consideration of how equipped we are, or aren’t, to provide help to those in distress. We should help others in distress, and those who don’t Calvin twice refers to as useless “logs”. Don’t be a log! However he gives specific advice regarding the help of others.

First, don’t be showy. Don’t perform outward demonstrations of sorrow if you don’t mean them. Second, it is possible to mean well but be entirely ill-equipped to actually help, and as such you will inevitably make things worse. Third, providing useful help is difficult, “teaching is very difficult to put into practice.” I guess we should think carefully about how we help, and not just jump into it. Lastly, “The greatest help we can give those who are in need is to pray that God will not reject them completely”, but this won’t be effective unless we “identify with them, humble ourselves before God, and grieve with them.”

Lastly, I am moved to think about self-reliance versus the need for comfort. I have, I think, adapted to believe that no one is really going to help me in my difficulties (which are small), and nor should they. These verses make me reflect on my own need for help, am I somehow too self-reliant? But also how I help others. How do I fit into a community?

Quotes:

On patience: “We have to be assured of God’s goodness and love; we must always hope in his grace without doubting that he continues to love us, even if he treats us harshly.”

“We see how men are so quick to speak that sometimes they speak before thinking.”

“…it is impossible for us…not to experience many evil desires…”

“…let us not doubt that God pities us and sustains us in our infirmities, provided that we, by the grace of his Holy Spirit, reject such things and not yield to putting into practice the wicked fantasies that we conceive in our minds.”

“We see many zealous people who are very sincere and desire to be charitable toward those they can help. But they do not know how.”

“If we are dealing with a person who is experiencing great agony, may what we bring him by way of comfort be so well applied to his situation that he will feel some relief.”

“…we are able to do many fine things which are still only misguided…if we do not have love (cf. 1 Cor 13:3)”.

The verse “Blessed is the man who is heard in his affliction (Psa 41:1)” is quoted twice.

“We will never be shut off from God’s help, provided we take refuge in him.”