Job 1:21 THE LORD GAVE AND THE LORD HAS TAKEN AWAY; MAY THE NAME OF THE LORD BE PRAISED
God was proud of his servant Job (1:8), and Job’s
prayer in verse 21 shows why. First there is his remarkable humility. He had
known all along that everything came from God. Naked he arrived in this world;
naked he would depart. Second, even though Job had just learned that he had
lost the people and things most precious to him, he utters an amazing
expression of gratitude. His attitude wasn’t "God took what was mine!"
Job acknowledged that everything is the Lord’s. Everything he had was his by
gift, not by right. Humility and gratitude are the irreducible minimums of
prayer. The grateful are humble or they wouldn’t be grateful. God dwells only with
the humble (Isaiah 57:15); 1 Peter 5:5). Until we know we have no ground to
stand on before God, we have no ground to stand on before God.
Job’s humility and gratitude will be even more
severely tested. He will be pushed out to the very edge of humanity, and return
holier and happier. SØren Kierkegaard pictured
Job as standing at an outpost from which he could lead the rest of us through
the dark wilds of suffering. Job is a guide; he gives us hope; he reassures us
that what we thought isn’t possible is possible. When Job’s story ends, "the terror is endured, the horror experienced, the battle
of despair waged, to the honor of God, to his own salvation, to the profit and
happiness of others. In joyful days, in fortunate times Job walks by the side
of the race and guarantees it is happiness, combats the apprehensive dream that
some horror may suddenly befall a man and have power to destroy his soul as its
certain pray."
Job is a great prayer partner. His
prayers aren’t necessarily tidy, because his life isn’t always tidy. Because of
this, he teaches prayer, but mainly he encourages us to pray just as we are. He
is one of the original, "Just as I am" pray-ers.
In Christ,
Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
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