Thoughts On Job’s Declaration

As this year comes to a close, I want to share some thoughts to encourage you on your Christian walk. I also should mention that a New Year’s resolution of mine is to post more on this blog.

None of us can get everything we want, and none of us can keep everything we want. We all go through loss and it can be hard to see -or even want to see- that others have gone through similar and even harder trials than us.

Take Job from the Bible. He lost his children, his worldly goods, his health, and even his friends who ended up turning on him. But somehow Job was still able to bless God, who had allowed this to happen to him.

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.

Job 1:21

We know that it wasn’t God who had done all those things to Job, but Satan who had God’s permission. You see, God won’t make you carry a load that He knows you aren’t capable of carrying. God knew that Job was a righteous man and could handle it. He had faith in Job.

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.”

Job 1:8

So, we know that bad things happen to both good and bad people. Why? Who are we to know the ways of God?

Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.

Job 40:2

I mention all this to say that that a lot of times we expect God to always give us what we ask, since we are His people. It is important to realize that sometimes He does take away. It is always for a reason, though.

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be given back to you.

Luke 6:38

What has this verse got to do with what I’m saying? Well, your perspective and outlook on life affects everything, including how you handle loss. If you are a Christian and surrender your life to God, He hasn’t taken anything away, because it was His in the first place. I thought that God had taken away my house and my dream, but I only thought that because I hadn’t given them to Him. It is so easy to get attached to the things of this earth that are temporary and fleeting, when it is best to give them to God and lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). I held on to worldly things instead of giving them to God so that He could deal with them and give them back with good measure. So now I’m letting go so that I won’t miss out on the blessings I have and that God will keep giving.

Sometimes things like songs or books will really get me to thinking. The song that inspired this post is called Who’s This Man? By Joseph O’Brien. It’s one of my favorite songs right now, and I encourage you to listen to it!