THE LORD GAVE THE LORD TAKETH AWAY (MIKAL SMITH)

Job 1:20-22

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 FALSELY.

Oh that God would give me grace for every trial, that I would worship him even in loss and calamity in not only knowledge but experience!  To be given by God to be able to truly in my heart say "It is well, with my soul"

How often do we anger or become pridefully bereft of our love and joy in God? Our love, adoration, and worship should be IN our God for who He is alone and not the bounties of His hand. He alone is worthy of praise if never a gift were given. His excellency is not his provisions but Himself, from which flows provisions as He sees fit to graciously bestow. 

Job knew that God was sovereign to give and take by head knowledge and was quick to give profession of it by mouth. But when the heavy hand of God pressed down and the grief sunk in, the pride of Job's heart began to surface and declare the assumed unfairness and unrighteousness of God's action against him could not be justified.  

As children of grace, we often are quick to proclaim the sovereignty of God in all things and not charge Him falsely, but when the experience of that sovereignty is displayed on or through us, we pridefully raise our fist to the God of heaven and declare Him wrong for His actions. 

When the heaviness of affliction and trial has had its fine work, may God, like Job, bring us to repentance and from the heart be able to say:

Job 42:1-6
I know that thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.

By Grace Alone, For His Glory Alone!

Mikal Smith