Job 1:21, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
Job loved God! A man of complete integrity, he feared the Lord and shunned evil. Yet multiple disasters befell him. His wealth and his children – all ten of them – were snatched away from him in one day. It could've been so easy for him to curse God, but he didn't, even amid his unbearable grief.
Job's response to his tragic losses demonstrates a truly extraordinary man, with remarkable faith in God. He still praised God amid the unthinkable because he'd long understood that we are born with nothing and leave with nothing. Everything we have is God's to give and God's to take away. So, within his woe, he still worshiped. And within his devastating grief, he approached God with reverence and humility. Such faith only comes from knowing God's love and all-encompassing foresight.
Could you echo Job's words and the attitude that ruled his heart, even when you don't understand why difficulties and disasters are scattered along your path? Can you trust that God has the foresight to see what you cannot see? Are you able to say, "The Lord gives and takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord"?
Write down the losses and difficulties in your life that were not the result of your own unwise actions. Admit to God that those things hurt, but that you still trust Him. Now wad the paper into a tight ball and throw it into a trash can.
Dear God, I thank You for the many blessings You have given me throughout my life. May I hold the things of this world lightly, knowing that all I have is from You. Whether I'm rich or poor, whether I'm rejoicing or in mourning, whether You give or take away, I trust You! In Jesus' name, Amen.