by Graham Mol
In the song Blessed Be Your Name written by Matt Redman and his wife Beth, there is a part of the song that says the following:
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord blessed be Your name
These words are a reference to Job’s cry in the Bible when he lost both all his wealth and all his children:
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 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.” (Job 1:20-21 NIV)
This is not an easy thing to do, to praise God even in the midst of pain and suffering. At the same time it is one of the most beautiful and powerful witnesses of God’s enduring love through it all. I will never forget hearing these words being sung by a friend who had experienced incredible loss. From that place of pain and loss he still lifted his voice and sang those words from the song. Choosing to praise the Lord rather than curse.
Once again, the words of Job show such spiritual maturity, even when his own health is taken from him.
His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:9-10)
“Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” These are challenging words. Do we only praise God when we receive good things? Are we only faithful in our worship when things are going well? Do we trust God enough with our pain?
The book of Job teaches us that suffering is a complex issue that we will all face on this earth. And many times it will not make sense. Yet through it all, and despite it all, God is still in control. We know that He loves us and wants the best for us. Jesus’ death on our behalf is proof of the depth of that love. When we know the truth of that love in our hearts, we will find that no matter what happens, good or bad, our “heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name.”
God Bless
Graham
Beautifully written Graham. There’s a special strength and faith required to praise God through a storm… It’s a tough ask; I’m still practicing. 😉
Thank you Caryl. Aren’t we all!