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Job 1: 21 “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” |
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Have we come to the place where God can withdraw His blessings and it does not affect our trust in Him?* |
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Job has just
gotten word that everything he owned had been carried off by raiders and all of
his children had died when a roof collapsed on them. Job’s actions dramatically
portrayed his grief – he tore his robe, shaved his head and threw himself on
the ground – but his words sound impassive and pragmatic. He has given Satan
nothing to use against him. He
showed Satan that his faithfulness to God was not contingent on his material
blessings.
Each of us should
acknowledge that all that we have is provided by God. I am thankful for
the abundant, overflowing, undeserved blessings in my life. But, would my faith
be just as strong if he took it all away? God is worthy of praise whether we
have a little or a lot. Our earthly condition has nothing to do with whether or
not God should receive our praise.
Maybe
we could prepare ourselves in advance for the losses that probably lie ahead.
I’m not talking about ruining today by worrying about tomorrow; I’m talking
about surrender. Decide now to give up everything for Christ’s sake. If it is
no longer yours, you won’t miss it when it’s gone. We, too, would crush Satan if we could shrug
and say, “God gives and God takes away. Praise the Lord.”
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If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him.* |
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