The LORD gives and takes away

BY Argie Simonis

I would like to comment on the words of Job, which have become a "cliché" in the christian world: 

"The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away" Job 1:21

This provides an easy "escape" to justify a tragedy that we can neither explain nor understand why it happened. The cost is unfortunately high, because God is ultimately blamed for something he has not done.

It is true that the Lord really gives and takes away:

"to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." Isaiah 61:3

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no ficklenss, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17

"​Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross" Col. 2:14

"Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was on him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5 

All these passages from the Bible (and many more that exist) are proof that our Lord is good and has only good doses for us.

Let us not forget that Job was under a different covenant than we are today:

"But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." Heb.8:6

Job also admits his mistake:

"Who is he that hides counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not." Job 42:3 

"Why I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:6 

We have wrongly attributed all the responsibility for the evil that is happening today to the source of Good. Job repents of this distorted image he had of God, and many of us must follow his example. We have wrongly attributed all the responsibility for the evil that is happening today to the source of Good because we forget that there is a devil out there:

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour" 1 Peter 5:8 

Our God is good. We see the fullness of His character in the love and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and not in the tragedy of grief and loss. So the next time you experience a deep loss, see that God is by your side and can bring light even in the darkest days. We may not know why something is being taken away from our lives, but we can be sure that God is not the source of our tragedy.

Amen!

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