The Lord Giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord

It is safe to say that this phrase, found in Job 1:21 will be applicable to all of us at some time in our life, whether its the first half of the phrase or the second half.

We live in a fallen world. The world is cursed (Genesis 3). The world is full of loss, pain, sorrow, hurt, death, illness, injustice, fraud, deceit, lies, deception: the negatives are endless. Therefore it is inevitable that our lives will not always be rosy. Sometimes this is a consequence of our actions, sometimes this is the consequence of somebody else's actions, and sometimes it is simply a consequence of living on this earth.

It is common to see what appeared to be at one time the strongest of Christians become deserters of God when things get tough. Oh, what an unbiblical and destructive way this is to live. When God allowed the devil to pour out evil upon Job, Job did not turn his back on God, even when his friends tried to assure him that he had a just cause to do so. Instead we read in Chapter 1, that upon hearing of the loss of his family, livelihood, career and house Job "fell to the ground and worshipped."(Job 1:20) 

Let's take heed of the words of Job, in Job 1:21: "Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away; Blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Whilst this statement is true, we would hesitate to say such a thing to somebody experiencing pain. It is impossible to advise somebody who is in difficulty when we ourselves have not been through that same experience. 'Talking from experience' is deemed to hold considerable weight when counselling somebody who is experiencing hardships. If that is the case, then the words of Job are of value. No man can speak from experience more than Job. The situation he is in when he speaks these words make them very credible indeed.

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away! 

Only God knows our hearts. However, through our actions we can reveal our true selves. It is easy to be a God-loving Christian when times are good. It is when times are hard that your true character is revealed. When you hear the local worship leader, who was once so faithful and on fire for God, has turned his back on God because he has found himself in difficulty the past few months, the question that springs to mind is: was he even saved in the first place?

It is completely unacceptable to praise the living God when things are going good and turn our backs on Him when things get hard. Who are we to do such a thing? 

This topic can be tackled on so many levels. Too many to include in a single article.

Let's look at it from the following:

1.    If we have true faith, difficult times and trials will always bring us closer to God, not further away.

2.    Everything we have is from God. If we have good things, then that is more than what we had when we were born. These good things were given to us by the grace of God. Who are we to complain when He takes them away?

3.   True faith is about faith, not feeling.

1. If we have true faith, trials will always bring us closer to God.

If you are a Christian, then you have broken the mould. As we are born into sin, it is natural for us to desire sinful things and even enjoy it. Therefore to repent of your former ungodly ways and chose to follow Jesus is completely unnatural to us. 

Because of this, there is a constant battle going on inside of us: the battle between our body and soul. Our body is the physical part of us - the sin. Our bodies have a constant desire to be satisfied by fleshly things, whether it is food, sex, alcohol, materialism, vanity, even sleep. Our souls on the other hand seek what is right and true - God. Whether you are a Christian or not you know in your heart that there is a God and there is more to this life than physical things. (Romans 1:19 "... God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them."). Your soul seeks God. Through Jesus we are able to find God.

What the soul wants is in conflict with what the body wants. As a result the two war with each other. When we give in to what the body wants, our bodies become strong and sin prevails. When we withstand and seek God with all our heart, soul, and mind our spirit becomes strong and our bodies become weak - that is, the fleshly desires that were once so strong begin to fade and the power of God becomes evident in our lives. (This is one of the reasons why people fast).

2 Corinthians 12:10 states "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 

This illustrates the effect of seeking God, at all times, when it is pleasurable and joyful to do so, and when it is against every bone in our bodies because we are experiencing pain and difficulty, perfectly! When we give in to our bodily desires, when we take the easy road we become strong in our bodies (in ourselves), however as we know humans are weak. (Matthew 19:26 "...With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.") However, when we seek God, even when it is hard to do so and we do not give in to what our natural self is telling us, our spirit becomes strong. The power of God within us is strengthened. This power is much more superior to the power of ourselves! Therefore when we are weak in ourselves, we are strong in the Lord! (Psalm 121:2 "My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth!" ) For it is: "It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8).

Therefore when we are experiencing trials we should not turn our back on God! That is foolish and naturally minded. Instead, we should cling to God. Hard times are not a time to walk away from God, but rather cling to Him even tighter and come out stronger the other side. And if that is the result then those trials were a blessing to you from God. "The Lord Taketh; Blessed be the name of the Lord!".

2.    Everything we have is from God. If we have good things, then that is more than what we had when we were born. These good things were given to us by the grace of God. Who are we to complain when He takes them away?

Romans 11:36 "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen"

- 'Nuff Said.

3.   True faith is about faith, not feeling.

The emphasis placed on worship and emotion and even focusing solely on the love of God has led to a generation of Christians who live for the 'feeling' of Christianity. When the loud, sentimental music plays and your heart swells with joy and happiness for the Lord, you feel close to God. However, when the music fades and you are alone, it is impossible to recreate those feelings experienced when the songs are playing therefore you feel distant from God.

This is a dangerous faith to hold, as it is incredibly shallow. You start to live your faith as if you did God a favour by accepting his grace. When things are going great you praise God for his love and kindness, yet when things get hard you are offended that God would let such a thing happen to you. How selfish, self-centred and arrogant this attitude is.

That is what happens when we preach a man-centred gospel, packed with emotions. We get a man-centred Christian. 

If the true gospel is preached, the gospel of 'faith' and not of 'feeling', then we will reap strong, God-reliant Christians, who can withstand in times of trouble with the same joy, if not more as in the good times.

The true gospel is that we are separated from God - guilty of breaching His laws - unable to come into His presence because He is so perfect. Yet, despite this, because he loves us, through Jesus' death on the cross we are able to be brought back to God - washed of our sin through Christ's blood spilt for us and even appear perfect when we stand before God, through Christ.

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away; Blessed be the Lord!"

-BACChristian