You give and take away

"The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!” -Job 1:21


I remember the song "Blessed Be Your Name" when I read the last few lines of the reading from the book of Job. - "You give and take away, You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Oh, blessed be Your name." Never really took to heart what these lines meant but learning about the story of Job put everything in context. Job had all that He needed (all of which came from God, of course) but lost all of it in a snap. Yet, His heart was in the right place. Despite the tragedy of losing all, including his livelihood and his family, his heart never faltered one bit as his lips continued to bless the Lord's name. And that is faith.


As for me, whenever it seems like the Lord is "taking away" something from me, my first and usual reaction would be to feel down and to blame Him for my misery. A chain reaction of events follow from this - I sulk. I get depressed. I forget to pray. I lose appetite for His Word. I forget about my God. That is how weak I am. 


Yet, today's Word reminds me to trust in His plans. "Taking away" is not the ending. Taking away is always followed by giving, by blessing. And it is during this period between the taking and the giving that my heart is tested. Just like Job, my heart should not waiver in the midst of famine, in the midst of what I may think of as drought. Because the time will come when I am sure to reap blessings upon blessings from the Lord... when I am ready, when my heart is ready for Him once again.


Right now, I must admit that I am in a period of drought. But I wait upon the Lord and put my trust in Him as I await the outpouring of His blessings. Soon! I know that time is drawing near. I believe in faith that the abundance of rain will eventually come to put an end to the dryness... but before that moment comes, I choose to bask in the grace that comes with waiting. The Lord says, "Wait!" and I shall wait.


In time of receiving and in time of letting go, yes, Jesus, my heart will choose to say, Blessed Be Your Name!


Ciao!