“The
LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the
LORD!" - Job 1:21
Job was a rich and powerful
man. Yet, in one day, he lost everything: his home, family, health, finances,
worldly goods and confidence in himself. He had three visitors who tried to
help him figure out where he went wrong and why God was punishing him. What
they did not know is that Satan is the one who plagued this good and gentle
man, not the Father. They ended up heaping blaming condemnation on Job, rather
than leaving with him the encouragement they came to give.
Through this experience Job
learned some lessons. He gives us sage advice that is very important to apply
to our life. Even in His poverty and ill health with no family to bring him
solace, Job tells us that God does innumerable and marvelous miracles for us.
Then he stated the blessings from God, which most people take for granted: rain
to water the fields, prosperity for the poor and humble, safety for sufferers
and salvation for the fatherless and the poor from the grasp of their
oppressors. God gives hope to those who lack trust and anticipation. He keeps
us from famine and war. He even protects us from wild animals.
Job warns that crafty people
are caught in their own traps, because God thwarts their schemes. They grope
like blind men, even in the daylight. However, God breaks their fangs and
prevents them from harming other people. Job reminds us that the correction of
the Lord is something we can cherish, because He only disciplines those who are
His children. God allows us to be wounded, but then He binds up our wounds and
heals us. We do not even need to worry about our home when we are away from it,
because He will thwart the thief. God gives us a long, good life and only takes
us to heaven when the number of our days is full.
All of us experienced times
when we found refuge in God. He turns His ear to us in our day of trouble and
saves us. He is our rock and refuge, which we can always go to. He delivers us
from the hand of the wicked and gives us hope. He fills our mouth with praise
as we declare His splendor all day long. He never leaves us or forsakes us, not
even when we are old and our natural strength is gone. People speak against
God, and mock us for our unswerving trust and belief in Him, but they will
perish in shame. We can tell everyone we meet of His righteous love towards us.
We can proclaim to the next generation the wonderful things He does for us each
new day (Psalm 71:1-18).
Prayer:
O
Lord, Your righteousness reaches the heavens. You have done such great things.
No one is like You. You see our troubles and tears and restore our life. You
increase our honor and comfort us through every affliction. We praise You for
Your faithfulness and we shout with joy when we sing to You. You redeemed us
and we will never stop sharing Your wondrous love with everyone we meet (Psalm
71:18-24).
Thought for the Day:
“Happy
are those whose God is the Lord.” - Psalm 144:15Thank you, Susan Holsinger, for the use of your photo.
