"The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Deep winter.
I lifted my eyes from my Bible and looked out the window at the snow lightly covering the dead branches of the trees and bushes surrounding my house. As I sat pondering those words on the page before me, I wrapped the quilted comforter more closely around my shoulders and pulled my feet up into the chair in an attempt to ward off the chill in the house. Somehow Job had been able to maintain his faith---and even gratitude---through the loss of all of his material possessions, his children, his wife, and his health. What on earth did he have to be grateful for?
Then it hit me.
Nothing . . . nothing on earth, that is. But everything to look forward to after this life! Job understood that no matter what we are called to go through in this life, we still have reason to bless the name of the Lord, and thank Him for the simple gift of life here and the bright future after this life.
Even after all Job had gone through? How is that ever possible?
I submit it is only possible when we finally come to accept and acknowledge that life is a gift from God; that He wants to help us grow through it with dignity; that our ultimate goal is a reunion with Him after this life; and that every difficulty we go through is a chance to grow closer to Him and to watch His hand at work in our lives.
Today, find something to thank Him for. If you can't find it in your own life right now, pick up your scriptures. There---He is talking to you right now, through the words of His prophets. As Paul wrote to Titus, we live "In hope of eternal life . . . ", and this hope carries us through the dregs that otherwise would be hopeless.
In those dark times, I love to find a quiet place and use my Topical Guide to search out 'hope', or 'faith', or 'comfort' or 'mercy'---any topic that might soothe my soul---and ponder, and underline, and draw strength and courage from them. Then as I go forward, I can reflect on the words of my Father and my Savior and feel them giving me the will to move on.
Truly, "The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord"!
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1 comment:
Roz, I felt so peaceful when I read through your blog. We all have reason to be healed and I felt the healing taking place even as I read. I'm going to share this with my newly widowed friend and hope that it will also begin to heal her and help her through her grieving. Good luck on your book!
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