Day 247, Year 1

Praise Him Even When God Has Taken Away Everything

“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21b NASB)

There are many good examples of giving thanks for all things in the Bible, with one prominent figure being Job from the Old Testament. His declaration in the above verse demonstrates that he is a man who is truly and genuinely grateful to God. Most people’s proclamation is that God is the giver, and blessed is His name. But when God is the taker, and His name is to be accursed. The latter reflects the weakness and sinful nature of human beings, because what they truly love is not God Himself but only prosperity.

In Job chapter 1, all of Job’s children died due to the attack of the devil. When one passes away, people tend to react in one of two ways. People often experience profound grief and sorrow when someone with whom they love or have an emotional bond passes away. It is part of human nature to feel sad when losing the people we hold dear or rely on. On the contrary, people often have little feeling, or even relief, when someone distant or whom they despise or hate passes away. Job loved his children and was, of course, devastated after God took them away (Job 1:20). Still, after his grief, he chose to praise God. For Job, his children were God’s reward, whereas for many Israelites, the life of their children is viewed as a form of extension of their own lives. Nonetheless, from the perspective of the New Testament, children are certainly not an extension of anybody’s life. Although the Bible does not deny that people see the world from their own perspectives, it is more beneficial for us to understand God’s perspective.

In the example of Job, when God blessed Job by rewarding his children through his wife, Job praised God. Even when God took His children away through disasters, Job still praised Him. It is believed that when he looked up to God and realized that his children could live a long or a short life on earth, it was completely in God’s hands. Job finally chose to praise God. He did not hold the taboo that elders should not see off the young once and for all. Facing death can make people feel the fragility and transience of life. Perhaps, we can feel the certainty of God’s sovereignty over all things through these incidents, which leads to greater trust and praise toward Him. Of course, people can perceive certain works of God as wrong, feel, and even blame Him for the works. Yet, blaming God is likely to lead to calamities or even eternal destruction.

Reflection questions:

1) If God takes away what you love, could you sincerely praise Him from your heart after a period of grieving? Why?

2) How could believers wholeheartedly praise God after a disaster or calamity? If so, what might be the secret behind it?