You Give and Take Away

Our team talks a lot. Well, of course we do… we’re 4 girls. One week we talked a lot about our humanness and our weaknesses. Last week we had a good talk about Job.

            I remember working a retreat in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux many moons ago and Mr. Ivy Cavalier was talking to a friend and me about the book of Job in the Bible. I remember not knowing or ever hearing about this “Job” person, but Mr. Ivy spoke with such passion that I was entranced. After that retreat I read the Bible for the first time by myself. A little summary of Job… He was a good servant of the Lord and was very blessed. He was married, had children, was very well off, had a lot of land and animals, he was very hospitable, very devout, and he loved the Lord. So one day Jesus and the devil are chatting (Job 1:1-12) about how Job is “blameless and upright” and the devil is all like, well duh- You protect him. So Jesus lets the devil tempt Job in anyway he wants but he cannot lay a hand on Job himself. So the devil takes away Job’s wife, his kids, his land, his home – literally stripping him of EVERYTHING he possessed. And do you know what Job’s response is? (Job 1:20-22) He rends his garments, lays prostrate on the ground worshipping and says, “The Lord gives and takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!” He doesn't complain, he doesn't think that his life sucks, he doesn't mope... he praises the Lord through his suffering because he knows that praising the Lord is more important.

WHAT?!?!?!

Are you saying that Jesus gives the devil permission to give us temptations as a trial to see how worthy we are or to see if we are holy and blameless in His sight? Will he take you away family and everything you love? Will he give you a blessed life filled with trials to overcome and sufferings to gain salvation?
Will He really take you away from your family at 20 years of age and send you to the other side of the world? Will He give you the gift of a beautiful sorority of God centered women whose creed is a reflection of loving and serving God and the poor? Then will he take you away from them and make you literally live out that creed? “...To minister to the needy…to practice day by day: love, honor, truth...”
Woah, that’s me! And people think old Bible stories don't relate to you today, pshhhh.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away… but my heart will always to choose to say – “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

When the Lord strips you of your life, it’s not for an empty purpose filled with despair and gloom – He will ABUNDANTLY bless you with good and perfect things in His eyes. Of course it will hurt a little, but the hurt and the suffering will gain you eternal salvation. I think suffering on earth and being stripped of worldly things is worth living forever in Heaven. Don't ya think?