Blessed be the name of the Lord

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother's womb,

And naked shall I return there.

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. – Job 1.18-22

When I was in speech class a LONG time ago I did a comic reading called ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.’

It was all about a little boy who had the worst day possible. Everything went wrong and the day went from bad, to worse, to worst.

Well Alexander had nothing on the day that Job had. Satan had come to God and God had asked if Satan had heard about Job and his fear of God and hatred for sin. Satan told God that Job only did what he did because he had it made. So God allowed Satan to afflict Job.

Within a matter of minutes and after hearing from several messengers Job discovered that he had lost everything. His buildings, his crops, his livestock, and eventually even his family had been wiped out.

That would be enough to make anyone turn from God and doubt Him.

But Job could not be shaken.

‘The Lord gave and the Lord took away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’

Oh for that kind of heart. When bad news happens I fear that Job’s response is not my first response. His response proves the point that he ‘feared God.’ Job’s awe of God’s power allowed him to recognise that all the trouble he faced did not change the fact that God was still God. He didn’t have to ‘get it.’ He refused to blame God because he trusted God.

I doubt (hope) I never have a day like Job’s. May his response challenge me when my bad days come. 

Indeed, blessed be the name of the Lord. God is good, every day, all the time.