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"THE BREATH OF GOD" Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind." (Job 12:9-10)In this 12th chapter, Job responded to his “friends” self-serving philosophy and bad theology. They had been berating Job, telling him that he was suffering because he thought too highly of himself and that he was living with unconfessed sin. They believed suffering only happened because someone was harboring some transgressions and God was punishing them.Job’s straightforward answer was that he understood that every life is in God’s hands. He had already said that God was holy and that he was not. Therefore, he didn’t need more theology and assumptions; he needed his friends’ support.Christians need to be supportive and caring during when those storms of life rain down on a fellow believer. We need to take our struggling brethren to the Lord in prayer, without trying to solve all the tough questions involved. To say, “I don’t know why this or that tragedy is happening” is not a cop-out. It’s even OK to say, “I don’t know anything better to tell you than God is good and He does not change.”The reality is that we often don’t understand God’s plans, but we can continue to believe that the plans He has for our lives are good. There is a process going on in every believer’s life. The apostle Paul said it this way: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:(Philippians. 1:6) Once God begins a work in a person’s life, He will not stop until that work reaches completion.I love that old hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” which has been a source of great comfort to many since William Cowper wrote it in the 18th century. Yet few people know that throughout his life he struggled with long bouts of crippling depression. On more than one occasion he tried to commit suicide, only to be miraculously restrained by the mighty hand of God. Knowing this gives greater weight to the words of his song:God moves in a mysterious wayHis wonders to perform.He plants His footsteps in the seaAnd rides upon the storm.Ye fearful saints, fresh courage takesThe clouds ye so much dread,Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings upon your head.Friends, when comforting others, avoid assuming superiority in wisdom. Instead, offer empathy and understanding, recognizing all the while that only God fully comprehends the breath of each life.