The good with the bad

“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭1:20-22‬ ‭NASB‬‬

I love the good times. Those moments when the blessings appear to flow and all seems right with the world. In those moments I see God’s blessing and it is easy to praise Him.

Then the darkness falls.
As I started in Job this morning I ran into this familiar passage and how it has blessed me in my life. During my bout with cancer 15 years ago, I spent weeks working through Job. It was a fitting study in the midst of all that I was going through. I had the pain of chemo, the stress of trying to catch up on a job that I had been away from for seven weeks, and a huge question mark where my life used to be.

I focused on Job’s response to the situation and the less than helpful responses of his friends. I remember getting to the end of the book where God first confronts Job, then instructs Job to pray for his friends who had misrepresented Him. I broke down and wept as I read about God’s restoration and blessing of Job. At that moment my non believing boss came into my office as I sat there with Scriptures open and tears flowing.

We are witnesses.

Because we are in the same world and affected by the same corruption we suffer just as everyone else does. The difference is we know that we have a Savior that loves us and counts every tear. He has proven Himself time and time again.

Every great blessing comes from Him. How dare we accept those blessings, and also not expect the hardship. We must praise Him in the darkness.

Blessed be the name of the Lord!
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