Scripture for Today: Job 1:21 “Naked I came 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.”

I cannot imagine the pain of losing a precious innocent baby.  I cannot imagine the heartache of losing a spouse.  It is difficult to even imagine praising the name of the Lord at such a time as that.  And yet, this is what Job was able to do when he lost all his sons and daughters.  When Job received this awful news, his immediate response was to fall to the ground in worship and speak this verse.  He recognized that the Lord in His sovereignty gave and the Lord also took away.  Job did not “curse God and die,” as was the advice from his angry devastated wife but continued to bless the name of the Lord even in his enormous grief and continual questioning.

It is one thing to bless the name of the Lord when all is well.  It is quite another thing to bless His name when it feels like one’s world is collapsing.  The fact that it can be done gives so much credibility to the truth of God’s Word.  Those who testify to God’s faithfulness while the drugs of chemotherapy drip into their arm are those to whom it is well worth listening!

Though loss is so very painful, our hope is real.  Our God proves Himself to be the God of all comfort when we need Him most (II Cor. 1:3).  Living our hope is a powerful affirmation of the Truth to ourselves and to others.  We can trust that our dear one, though gone from our arms, is safely in His.

“My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name.”