I Will Praise
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” — Job 1:20-21
By the end of this first chapter, Job is stricken with events that no man wants to encounter. His possessions, cattle, servants, and ten children are taken from him. And while we don't know exactly what this moment felt like to Job, you've probably experienced devastation on a far less significant level. But notice how Job responds. He stood up, stripped naked, shaved his hair, fell to the ground stripped of everything, and worshipped God. While this was completely natural for a man who was in mourning, his next response is inspiring and awesome.
"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
What brings a man to assert this? Here are the two factors. Factor one, Job is certain that God is sovereign and Satan is not. Factor two, his circumstances never determined his faith. His possessions, land, cattle, servants, family, and finances were not the object nor the means of his faith — God was. So when these mere things were taken from him, his faith remained intact, unaffected by circumstances.
So here are two questions we need to ask ourselves in light of all that is happening in the world and our lives:
- Do you believe that God is still sovereign?
- Do you have faith in God or circumstance?
Take a moment to reflect on these questions and then consider what you might need to confess for you to be able to make this proclamation:
"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
ASK THIS: Do you believe that God is still sovereign? Do you have faith in God or circumstance?
DO THIS: Confess to God what is hindering your faith in him. (If you feel brave, share this in the comments below)
PRAY THIS: God, my faith has been altered by the challenging circumstances of this life. I bring these circumstances to you, knowing that you are still sovereign and that they are in your care. Increase my faith today. Reveal yourself in the circumstances of my day.
PLAY THIS: Made A Way.
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A similar question must’ve been asked 5/22 as I see my response already here. Fortunately, my circumstances have not changed although I still struggle with why others suffer the horrible tragedies of this world. The world should be getting better, not worse.
my finances, good, bad, or ugly, depending on the day, week, month, year, or season of life, are the one thing that really affect my life more than I want them to and certainly more than He wants them to. money is a tool that needs to be used to further His kingdom, not a slave master that is meant to determine the course of our lives, but all too often that is what happens to people and my wife and I are still recovering from poor financial choices that were made years ago, early in our marriage, but we are at least on the right track now to becoming debt free.
Serious medical issues have hit my granddaughter and grandson along with son in law . I know God is in control but lack trust recently. God forgive me for doubt.
God I know you are perfect I know I don’t deserve to be in you presence. It is the shame of my sins that has me doubt you want to be near me. Please help wipe away the hurts from my past so I can live new in you.
My own selfish desires. Also, I have been blessed to have very limited exposure to negative circumstances. Sometimes I question why I am so blessed and others are not.
God you are my rock. I can do nothing without you.
It seems as though I am forever waiting on answers or guidance from God with regards to my work
The lord Jesus has by his spirit shaken all things that can be shaken out of my life and on a daily basis continues to do so. What I have found is, He is really all I have, and all I need. Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6.
Church wounds and the empty womb
Selfishness
God is sovereign.
Lord, you have blessed me with a new job that has provided me with great family time and low stress, but made us not depend upon a large salary and shown us that you will provide what we need. Please take my restless thoughts of trying to figure out how to live a life based on money and accomplishments and focus on a life of faith, praise and being your servant! Amen!
There are many things that hinder me from from being a good Christian but I do not believe it is my faith it is my weakness to sin.
Amen! Let’s praise Him no matter what comes.
Yes!