The Lord has Given, and the Lord has Taken Away. May the Name of the Lord be Praised!

Whenever I read the story of Job, I am always challenged by the circumstances of the story. My life isn’t perfect but compared to many people around the world, my life is great! I am well-educated, healthy both physically and mentally, eat what I want, when I want, have access to running water, have a roof over my head and I have found Jesus.

However, this passage challenges me because I am not sure how I would react if I were ever tested in the same way as Job. I suspect you are in the same boat as me – we all don’t know how we would react until we are tested. We all hope that were we to lose everything but our salvation, like Job, our response would include praise. Not only did Job offer praise to the Lord but he never blamed the Lord for anything that had happened to him!

Job 1: 20-22 - After Job heard all these reports, he got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped the Lord. He said “I was born naked. And I’ll leave here naked. The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away. May the name of the Lord be praised.” In spite of everything, Job didn’t sin by blaming God for doing anything wrong. (NIrV)

So how was Job able to do this?

Job accepted that the source of all he had was not him. It was the LORD. Job’s posture was of humility. He understood that it was the LORD that gave him the ability to get wealth and made him different from others. Therefore, when it was taken away from him, he was grateful for what he had been given and able to accept his current state.

Deuteronomy 8:18 - But remember the Lord your God. He gives you the ability to produce wealth. That shows he stands by the terms of the covenant he made with you. He promised it to your people of long ago. And he’s still faithful to his covenant today. (NIrV)

1 Corinthians 4: 7 - Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you brag as though you did not? (NIrV)

Now, this does not mean that Job was not disappointed and did not grieve the loss of his family (as is clear in the following chapters). But it does help us understand how we ought to posture ourselves in times of difficulty. We are to remember that what we have comes from God and despite our disappointments and hardships in life, God is still worthy of our praise and worship.