The Lord Giveth And The Lord Taketh

Opening

Church, can I get an amen this morning?

Scripture Reading: Job 1:20-22 (KJV)

"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 foolishly."

Introduction: A Man Named Job

You know, there's a man in the Bible named Job. And Job, he had it all. I mean he had EVERYTHING. He had wealth—more cattle than he could count. He had children—seven sons and three daughters. He had health, he had respect, he had standing in the community. Job was blessed, church. He was BLESSED!

But then... then... everything changed.

The Lord allowed the enemy to test Job. And in one day—ONE DAY—everything was taken away. His cattle? Gone. His servants? Dead. His children? All ten of them—gone in an instant when that house collapsed.

Can you imagine? Can you imagine that kind of loss?

Point One: Job's Response in the Storm

And what did Job do? Did he curse God? Did he shake his fist at heaven? Did he turn his back on the Almighty?

No!

Job 1:21 tells us what he said: "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord!"

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!

Now church, I want you to understand something this morning. Job didn't say this because it felt good. He didn't say it because he understood why. He said it because he knew WHO God was, even when he couldn't understand WHAT God was doing.

Deuteronomy 32:39 reminds us: "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand."

Point Two: Blessings Without Trials?

See, we live in a world that wants blessings without trials. We want the mountaintop without the valley. We want the testimony without the test! But that's not how God works!

When God gives, we praise Him—Hallelujah!

When God takes away, we still praise Him—Hallelujah!

Because God is good ALL the time, and ALL the time God is good!

1 Samuel 2:6-7 teaches us: "The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up."

God is sovereign over BOTH the giving AND the taking away!

Point Three: Your Current Trial

You might be going through something right now. Maybe you lost your job. Maybe you lost a loved one. Maybe your health isn't what it used to be. Maybe your marriage is struggling. Maybe your children have gone astray.

But I came to tell you this morning: God is STILL on the throne! He's still working it out!

Paul said in Philippians 4:11-12: "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound."

Paul learned the secret, church! And that secret is this: our praise is not based on our circumstances—it's based on our God!

Point Four: The Restoration is Coming

And just like Job, your latter days are gonna be greater than your former days!

Job didn't know it in chapter 1, but by chapter 42, God restored DOUBLE what he lost!

Job 42:10, 12 declares: "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before... So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning."

Seven sons and three daughters? God gave him seven MORE sons and three MORE daughters!

The wealth he lost? God gave him DOUBLE!

The years of suffering? God made them worth it in the end!

Conclusion: Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

So hold on, church! Keep praising Him! Keep blessing His name!

Because the same God who allows the taking away is the same God who brings restoration!

The same God who closes doors is the same God who opens windows!

The same God who allows the test is the same God who brings the testimony!

Whatever you're going through right now, lift your hands and say with Job:

"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!"

Not because you understand it all.

Not because it doesn't hurt.

But because HE is worthy!

HE is faithful!

HE is good!

And HE will see you through!

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Can I get an amen?