NIV 365-Day Devotional Plan (2017)Sample

What’s the proper response to grief?

When Job’s friends first visited him after hearing the news of his troubles, they were so overwhelmed that they just sat with him in silence. By the end of the book you’ll realize that this was their finest hour! For when they started to talk, they changed from caring friends to amateur theologians — and became next to useless.

Have you ever approached a suffering friend and thought, What can I say? Don’t feel that you necessarily have to say anything! Just be with that person. Come alongside and, if need be, sit in silence with them. In the early stages of grief, your silent but supportive presence is one of the best responses to a friend’s suffering that you can give.

Taken from NIV The NIV Journey Bible