"The LORD Gives, and He Takes Away"??

"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Remember that verse? It's found in the 1st chapter of JOB.

Job is speaking here … it's Old Testament, folks. 
Job was a rich man.

Satan had designs on him, he was looking for a soul to enslave.

Job was tested by Satan; Old "Slew-foot" went to talk to God, and asked

permission to attack Job, God's servant. God said, "OK, but you can't

take his life." So, his oxen and donkeys were stolen. His servants were

slain by the sword. Fire came and burned up his sheep and more servants.

More enemies came and took all his camels. And slew more servants.

His sons and daughters were all killed, due to a house where they were

feasting, collapsed upon them. Only the messengers survived to tell Job.

How many calamities? A bunch. Two enemies, The Sabeans and

the Chaldeans, fire and wind also.

To add insult to injury, Satan came back, wanting to do more damage.

So God allowed satan to attack his physical body with boils. Funny

how God didn't "take" Job's wife, who was not much help then!

And to make things worse, enter "Job's Friends" … 3 wise guys who

thought they knew exactly what Job was going through … and why.

This incredible story unfolds like a many-act play, and too many

"scholars" forget that there is so much prose, so much opinion, and

even so much "spongy-thinking" in the book … It is a faithful record

of what was said. BUT it isn't all what God said! That comes much later

at the end of the book, when God Almighty shows his true nature and

glory to Job. And Job gets restored.  BIG TIME.

I'm sure you have heard sermons … doctrines … and even songs about

"The Lord gives, The Lord takes away". Do you believe them? Is it part

of your 'core belief system'? If so, it will affect everything you do, all that

you read when it comes to God's promises.

You see, Job prided himself in his knowledge of God. What he lacked

was understanding, and some wisdom. God takes him up as an ultimate

example, to purge him of PRIDE. And maybe FEAR. With a mentality

like "If he slays me, yet will I praise him", it all sounds noble and good,

but God Almighty wanted to take Job deeper. Deeper into HIM.

Job wasn't written to give us instruction on how the Lord deals with

his people. It is a lesson on humility … getting to really KNOW the Creator,

not just "hearing about him". Also, it gives a clue on what goes on "behind

the scenes" in the spirit-realm. Job had no clue what was really going on.

It took a little prophet, "Elihu" a wise but  younger one who shows up, just

in time to instruct Job. It's then, and only THEN that God comes to Job

and answers Job in the whirlwind.

YOU MAY KNOW SUFFERING

You may know suffering, or those close to you who have suffered

various things. I have suffered pain, loss and different things in life

that have brought sadness. I can tell you right now … I am sad for

your pain, but God Almighty didn't bring it! No, He is The Giver of Life:

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory;

No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Ps. 84:11)

God Almighty is a Giver … not a Taker. He isn't an "Indian-Giver" either.

There are so many places in the Bible that declares the goodness and

benevolence of God and his desire to really bless his children, to lavish

upon them gifts and even bless them extravagantly! But, you have to

believe that God is like this. You can't listen to reLIEgion and tradition

and what your friends, family, grandma or whoever says, that goes against

what God says about Himself! He ain't lying, and he's no respector of persons. 
What he has done for one, he'll do for another. You can claim

favor with God,  you know.

When I was "found" by The Lord Jesus, I gave my whole heart to him.

Later, there was a time when I gave him some other things, things from

my past. You know, he gave them back to me! I gave up "rock'n'roll" and

then, full circle, I have come, and now I do rock for Jesus. Anything that

I may have had in my past, which was not "evil" he has energized and put

into motion, so that, in a sense, I never really lost anything good. 
He didn't take it! He simply redeemed it and put it to use in His Kingdom. 
Like my talents in editing and graphics … grammar and writing … and music of course. 

All those gifts have been redeemed and greatly improved.

But … I'll tell  you what he HAS taken away from me.

STUFF I NEVER NEEDED

He took away the following:

*Strife

*Confusion

*Separation

*Loneliness

*"SIN"

*Darkness, Wrong Thinking

*Effects of Curses

*Poverty

*Other "things" blocking my spiritual growth!

Anything that didn't belong there, he has taken away!

Why? So I can "walk in the Light, as He is in the Light."

Plus, with the "taking away", he has added so much more.

With the advent of deliverance ministry and anointing, my

world with Him has opened up exponentially … not because

I'm anything "great" but totally because of Him!!
To God Alone Be The Glory.

And so, if you wanna keep singing that song . . .

"You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name"

(Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redmon)

. . . with the Truth of God ringing in your heart . . .

then I would be just OK with that :D