When You Have to Lose to Gain

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,  And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 1:20‭-‬22 KJV

In all of Job's loss, he KNEW God had not lost anything. He knew the absolute and unchangeable greatness of God. He knew that regardless of what had been taken from him, that the presence of God was still with him. He knew that if he had nothing left but his relationship with his Heavenly Father, that in itself was all he truly NEEDED.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. We love the giving part of that. It feels good to know that the God we serve loves us enough to bless us in ways that others can't. What about that taking away part though? Do we still trust that the SAME God who loves us in the giving, still loves us the same in the taking away?

Even though we may never understand how a great, big, mighty, awesome, LOVING God could take things away from us that WE think we need, we simply have to TRUST. If our faith was never tried in such a way, it would also never be strengthened and perfected.

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:3‭-‬4 KJV

God's ways are so high above our own. His plans for us are perfect. His love for us is beyond pure and true. He is like no other on the face of this earth. He doesn't operate in the ways WE think he should because, well, He's God!

He knows our every need. He knows our every care. He most definitely knows our burdens because he took them all upon himself at Calvary. He covers us with his love in ways above our understanding.

So, even though he may have given you some things, remember, he always has the power and authority to take away. Not to hurt or harm us, but to grow our faith and walk in him. Let us not set our sights on things of this world, but on things above. Where there are treasures we have yet to behold! There is hope in knowing that we have heaven to gain!

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:19‭-‬21 KJV