After Job suffered great loss in his life, his response was, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” I’m reminded of his response after having suffered the loss of two people whom I held dear this week. It’s been a lot to process and to handle. It’s easy to accept things that God gives, but a lot more difficult when He takes them away. I don’t understand how Job had the ability to bless God as his first response.
I see now why God said this about him, “He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless – a man of complete integrity.” It’s no wonder God trusted him so much. I often wonder why God trusts us with so much. With the good things He gives, comes responsibility. It’s often more than I think I’m worthy of or capable of handling. Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” He sees how we respond to what He gives us to see if He can give us more.
When he takes away or gives us more than we feel we can handle, our response should be like Job’s. We should bless God anyway. Ultimately, when He takes something or someone out of our life, it’s part of His plan for us. I can’t always see how things are working out for my good, but He can. I don’t always understand why tragedy hits, but He does. That has to be enough if we are to make any sense of the loss we experience.
In the end, God gave Job more than he ever had. No, he didn’t get the family he lost back, but God gave him new family. He multiplied more than was subtracted from him. God can do the same for me and you. We just have to learn to trust His plan and praise Him no matter what. Job was able to do it. That gives me hope that I am capable too. He was just as human as I am and he blessed God in good times and bad. So today, I purposefully say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord!”
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 