Bridging the Gap

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.  Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. 

Job 1:20-22

My Dear Child,
     Have you recently had something taken away from you and you are full of negative emotions about it?  Or maybe you lost something or someone significant a long time ago, and you can't let go of the hurt, and now it has turned to bitterness.
     My servant Job lost everything he owned and all of his children in the same day.  Instead of saying, "How could a loving God allow this to happen to me," he was quick to acknowledge that he had come into the world with nothing, and that that is the same way he would be leaving.  He understood that everything he had gained in his lifetime was at the hand of My goodness, and that I had every right to allow it to be taken it away. 
     But what pleased me the most was that he praised my name in the midst of it all.  He didn't skip a beat.  He didn't wait to praise me after months or even years of grieving.
     So often people question my whereabouts and my very existence when tragedy happens.  But Job did not sin by accusing me of doing anything wrong. 
     He had a habit of praising me in good times and always acknowledging me in whatever he did.  Learn from him.  Make praise a habit, no matter what is going on around you.  Keep your focus on me and who I am.  Most of all, don't fall into the trap of trying to mold me into man's image.

Your Heavenly Father,
God

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