He Gives & Takes Away
Monday, November 14, 2016
READ
“Naked I come 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 1:21)
REFLECT
Life is full of ups and downs. We all have
stories of the highest mountaintop moments, the lowest valleys, and everything
in between. This week, I personally experienced several wonderful blessings but
also some moments of hurt and confusion. Throughout every tiny detail in our
lives, God is still sovereign and good. He cares for us unfathomably and He is
the One who gives and takes away.
A lot of people may wonder why, if God is a good
God, He allows pain and suffering in our lives. Honestly, I’ve often pondered
this question myself. None of us can know the exact reasoning and plans of God,
but we can cling to His promises. The Lord assures us that none of our
suffering is in vain. In His kindness, He orchestrates everything together for
our good if we love Him. God loves us way too much to allow pointless suffering
to cloud our lives.
In 2 Corinthians 4:10, we are told that,
“Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that
the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” Although God is not the
ultimate cause of our suffering, He allows heartache into our lives so that
Christ may be glorified. Ultimately, God uses pain to bring us and others
closer to Himself.
Even though the Lord permits hardships into our
lives, He always allows something new to be born.
It may be hard to see the
silver lining, but in Christ, there is unfailing hope. If we draw near to His
heart and find our rest in Him, He will replace our sadness and mourning with
joy and peace. Throughout our suffering, God never leaves us alone to dry. The
Lord is emotionally involved in every aspect of our lives. Because He cares so
much about us, He turns our sorrow into immense joy. He delights in blessing us
if our hearts are chasing after Him.
So how should we respond in times of trial and
what should we do in points of prosperity? Like Job, we should recognize that
God gives and takes away. Everything He does is good and all His plans are
right. The Lord alone is worthy of all of our praise. In the ups, downs, and
everything in between, we should worship our Heavenly Father, praising Him for
all that His is and all that He’s done.
PRAY
Dear Father, thank You for Your goodness. In
times of mourning and in times of rejoicing, help me to remember that You alone
are worthy of my praise. Let me not lose sight of Your steadfast love for me.
Teach my heart to trust in You during the times when You give and the times
when You take away. Thank You that, in You, suffering will not last forever and
joy will come in the morning. I love you, Father. Amen.
REFLECT
How do you respond when heartache strikes?
How do you respond when blessings are poured
out?
How do you respond during the mundaneness of
everyday life?
Spend some time this week in worship.
This week, start a gratitude journal so that
your heart will be set in a state of praise.
Written by: Mikayla
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