“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.’”
Job 1:20-21
The story of Job is a familiar one for many Christians. A rich man who was devoted to the Lord, Job became the target of Satan’s temptations. The Lord knew Job’s faithfulness and allowed Satan to test him. Satan took everything from Job, killed his family, and struck him with leprosy. He went from being a man with everything to a man with nothing. But Job remained faithful.
In this verse, we see Job’s response to his tragedy. He is clearly in mourning for his loss, he is deeply grieved. Despite this, his response is to praise God. He shows great wisdom in his answer. He says that he came into the world with nothing and that he will leave the world with nothing. Anything in between is a gift from God, and anything he loses was God’s to take. He held firm to his faith in the goodness of God, and trusted his plan. Regardless of the circumstances of his life, he knew that God is powerful over all, wise above all, and full of love for his people. Even if he’d never get anything else in his life, he believe that God knew best and that God was good.
His faith paid off. The devil was unable to tempt Job to reject God. In the end, God gave Job everything that he lost and more. He restored all of his wealth, a new family, and his health. Now, this isn’t a message saying that faith in God will always result in wealth and health and a family. The message is that God is good either way. Whether he gives or takes away, his plan is good. He knows best. Far better than we do.
That was the attitude of Job. It ought to be ours too.
Prayer:
God,
I know that I came into the world with nothing and I’ll leave with nothing. Help me to meet every blessing with gratitude and every loss with grace. Help me to trust that you know best, that you are in control, and that you will always be with me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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