Semper fi

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 1:21)

I am reflecting on the the life of Job this morning, and I am challenged. I don't know if I can continue to trust God if all physical things are taken away. Yes, the world will pass, and yes, only my relationship with Jesus will matter, but in my heart, would I give up on God if my family, if my health, etc., were stripped from me? I really hope not. 

We grew up counting our blessings, but we often count the things that God gives -- food, home, clothes, etc. But how often do we count the things that God "does not give" -- a B on an exam, singleness, unemployment, etc.? It's not that God doesn't care for what we want, but He is our Father who wants to discipline us. He disciplines us so that our eyes and hearts are not focused upon the things of the world that will eventually pass and fade, but so our eyes and hearts are focused upon Him alone. Not easy...  but through prayer, our hope is that our hearts will not just accept, but desire and be in joy of the things that God wants.

Thankful for salvation, the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again for all of humanity. 
Grateful for the Giver, the loving Father, who gives and takes away for our good.