In my devotions this morning, I was reading the last two chapters of the book of Job. One verse in particular stuck out to me. Job 41:11 says, “Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine” (Job 41:11 NLT). In this verse, God is reminding Job that He really doesn’t have to give him anything. The Lord knows what we should and shouldn’t have. He doesn’t have to “repay” us for any of the good things we did on the earth. He deserved our praise and adoration no matter what we have or do not have.
In Job, we read about a man who was blessed abundantly. Then, one day God allowed all of that to be taken away. Why? Because he wanted to see how Job would react to the situation. Although Job grieved, he did stay true to the Lord, praising him even in the hard times. And so, God blessed him in the end even more abundantly than before.
With the deployment looming up ahead, it’s easy for me to feel bad for myself. I can start wallowing in the fact that I’ll be lonely and I won’t have fun. I can even be mad at God for allowing this to happen.
But that isn’t what God is asking from me today.
Today, he is asking me to worship him in every circumstance. Yes, this next season will be a tough one, but He wants my adoration even then.
I’m reminded of a song by Tree63 called, “Blessed Be Your Name.” In this song, there’s a refrain that goes, “You give and take away/You give and take away/ My heart will choose to say/ Lord, Blessed be your name.”
May this always be my attitude, in the good times and the bad.