The Lord Takes Away

Day 94: Job 1-2

Job is an amazing man. He was blameless and upright, God-fearing and pure. In the book of Job, Satan roams the earth looking for someone who will basically curse God and turn away from their faith. So, God offers up Job. He tells Satan that there is no one as righteous as Job and that Satan can do whatever he wants to Job. Wow.

Very soon after that, Job loses everything. He loses his cattle and sheep, his oxen and donkeys, his servants and even his own sons and daughters. When he hears the news about all that he has lost, what does he do?

Before I get to what Job actually did, let's consider this question. What might you do if you have lost everything? It's hard to fathom losing everything; I can't even fully grasp what that means. It's too much to bear.

However, we can consider the notion of loss. We have all lost things. We have lost loved ones, and in this economic downturn, many of us have lost jobs. Others have lost children or had miscarriages. Others have mourned failed relationships, friendships, and marriages. We have all suffered from lost.

To make it a bit more personal, I will speak about something I have lost recently. Most of you know by now that Shane and I lost our dreams of planting a church. After three years of dreaming and then realizing our dream, we had to give it up. We are still grieving over all that we lost. Sure, we have moved on. We have a new church family who loves us and our children and is so glad we are there (as are we), but we are also still grieving over the church plant and other things surrounding that time in our lives.

*We are grieving that we had to move from a city that we love and had hoped to live in for years to come.
*We are grieving that our children will not go to the brand new elementary school in our neighborhood, the school equipped with high-tech classrooms and exceptional academic ratings.
*We are grieving that I will have to commute again. Long days and long hours away from family.
*We are anguished over leaving the friends we have made here and the spiritual relationships we have developed with people in our neighborhood and at various churches around town.
*We are saddened about leaving a home that we love. Familiarity. Comfort.

We are still sorrowful about a lot of different things. This past year has been very difficult for us, and we are still learning to deal with the loss we have experienced at many different levels of our life--emotionally, spiritually, personally, relationally, and professionally.

Over this past year, I have coped with loss in many different ways. I have been sad and depressed, so I got on depression medicine. I have prayed and prayed and prayed. I have praised God for this time, even though I don't understand everything that happened. I have talked with Shane, some friends, and many loved ones about my feelings. I have gone to counseling. I have also coped with my feelings through some negative behaviors--having a short fuse with Shane or my children; turning to food for comfort; avoiding people or conversations or conflict.

I am still working through all my feelings about that time in my life, and I will continue to look for the positive aspects of how God used me--used us--to advance his kingdom. I know that He did, and I'm confident that in spite of all that was lost, many things were gained, too.

So back to Job...Here was Job's response to all that he lost (vv. 20-22):

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
       "Naked I came from my mother's womb,
       and naked I will depart.
       The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
       may the name of the LORD be praised."

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. 

Job worshiped the Lord. Job, in his wisdom, recognized that the Lord gave and the Lord took away, AND YET, the name of the Lord will still be praised. And perhaps even more impressive, even in his grief, Job did not sin. Even when he developed boils, he did not curse God or sin. But he did grieve. He felt his suffering, and he went through deep sorrow and pain.

Let the name of the Lord be praised.