Passing Time During Suffering

I wonder how Job would have fared in his trials if he was left to himself. There were a few instances where isolation was evident, but God gave Job relationship during his grief. Not healthy or edifying "friends", they assumed so much upon Job and gave bad advice. They misunderstood much of what Job was going through, but they were there, walking with Job. God purposed this.

In the last chapter in Job. I love how God instructs Job's "friends" to turn to Job and ask him to pray for them so that God would not deal with them according to their folly. God could have dealt with Job's friends and shown them mercy any other way. Instead we have a scene of God making Job restore his friends. The choice was his. I imagine Job might not have wanted to pray for those guys or forgive them. But Job showed mercy by praying, then God showed mercy. What a strong example of purposeful prayer. In light of this restoration I find verse 11 striking.

 "Then came to him [Job] all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold." Job 42:11

Those same "friends" had to be there, Job's relationship with his friends/counselors continues after the trial. I'm left with an image of a tested friendship, where offenses and sins were forgiven, everybody was humbled, and nobody was ready for what God had next for Job: a supernatural restoration!!! God was bringing His reward and favor upon Job. Job's "friends" must have been so amazed by God given their POV.

I hope everybody dwells on the book of Job when they are in the valley. I hope God brings relationship of all kinds to pass the time of suffering. We have the television nowadays but actors don't know your trials. I have had the company of prayer warriors the past two years.