The quotation with which #Job 2 began was incomplete. This is something we often do with a scripture verse: we quote what suits us without looking at what follows: “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 1:21)
Timothy almost repeats this word for word: “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” (1 Tim 6:6-7). We spend the majority of our lives using our energy to accumulate, only to then have to learn to live with empty hands. Jesus teaches the same: “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:19-21).
The last words of Job 1:21 I just can’t stop reading: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” For you and me, these might sound like words from the Funeral Liturgy. Not for Job! For him, it is a confession of faith. It is his “nevertheless” song of praise! It is his anchor in a rough storm. It is the “north” on his life compass. JHWH: I am. Lord.
Without a doubt, you can only know these words – “may the name of the Lord be praised” – as consolation if you know the One behind the Name. And Job did! Therefore, he could surely – even through tears – sing: “When the storms of life rage around you / And you are greatly discouraged, fearing to perish / Count your blessings, count them one by one / And you will be surprised at what God has granted.
PRAYER: Your blessing is my support in uphill times.
MUSIC:
We listen to Carike Keuzenkamp’s version of “Count Your Blessings.”