The book of Job in the Bible tells the story of a righteous man named Job who experiences intense suffering when he loses his wealth, health, and children. In the midst of his despair, Job utters the famous words: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21 ESV). This verse has become a poignant expression of trusting God even in the darkest of times. But what exactly does it mean?
The Context of Job 1:21
To properly understand Job’s statement in 1:21, we need to first look at the context. Job was a godly man who had been greatly blessed by God. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a large household (Job 1:3). He was considered “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1). Job had received many good gifts from the hand of God.
But then disaster struck. In one day, Job lost all 10,000 of his livestock, most of his servants were killed, and all 10 of his children died when a great wind caused his house to collapse (Job 1:13-19). Understandably, Job was devastated by these events. After each new tragedy, the only response Job gave was to worship God saying “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
Key Points About Job 1:21
There are several key truths we can take away from Job’s statement in the midst of his unfathomable grief and loss:
- God is the rightful owner of all things. When Job says “the Lord gave,” he acknowledges that all he had – his livestock, servants, and children – ultimately belonged to God. As Creator, God gives gifts to people out of His grace and generosity. 1 Chronicles 29:14 declares, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” Job recognized that he wasn’t losing his own possessions but rather what God had entrusted to him for a time.
- God has the right to take back what is His. After saying “the Lord gave,” Job states “the Lord has taken away.” God occasionally withdraws gifts He has previously given. Deuteronomy 32:39 reminds us, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal.” Life and death are under God’s authority. He owes no explanation for what He chooses to give or take away.
- Despite his loss, Job blessed God. After acknowledging God’s complete control and right over his life, Job’s response was to worship God saying “blessed be the name of the Lord.” He chose to speak gratefully of God even when he didn’t understand what was happening. Job’s wife had told him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). But faithful Job could not bring himself to curse the God he trusted.
- Job accepted adversity from God’s hand. By blessing God’s name, Job surrendered to God’s sovereignty. He recognized that all that had befallen him – both good and ill – had come from the very same God. As Job 13:15 later declares, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him.” Difficult times do not change whom Job places his faith in.
- Job maintained integrity despite intense grief. Everything had been stripped away from Job – his wealth, family, and health. He experienced emotional agony like few people ever endure. Yet Job maintained his integrity and character. He humbly worshipped rather than blamed God. His words and actions modeled righteousness in the midst of trials.
Lessons We Can Learn from Job 1:21
While our trials today likely look very different than Job’s, his faithful response in the face of suffering challenges and instructs us. We would do well to reflect upon a few lessons:
- God is sovereign over every aspect of our lives – both blessings and hardships – even when we don’t understand what He is doing.
- Because God is good, just, righteous, and loving, we can trust His heart toward us in the midst of adversity.
- Difficult circumstances provide an opportunity to either turn towards God or away from Him. Like Job, we must choose to bless God and cling to our integrity.
- God is more concerned with our holiness and character than our comfort and happiness. Trials expose and strengthen our faith.
- We must humbly surrender to God’s authority to either give or take as He sees fit. He owes us no explanation for what He does.
In his deep anguish, Job acknowledges a key truth – God is God, and we are not. God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). Therefore, even severe trials should drive us towards God, not away from Him. We can bless and trust God’s name, even when we don’t understand all He is doing.
Other Biblical Examples of Blessing God in Affliction
Job is not the only person in Scripture who chose to bless God during times of grievous loss and trial. Here are a few other examples:
- Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:17-19) – The prophet praises God with joyful trust even though the fig tree does not blossom, fruit on the vine fails, fields yield no food, and flocks disappear. “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
- David (Psalm 34:1) – When he fled from Saul, David writes “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” He commits to praise God at all times, during seasons of blessing and pain.
- Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25) – While imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns to God around midnight. They worshipped God despite their difficult circumstances.
- Early Jerusalem church (Acts 5:41) – After being flogged for preaching Christ, the apostles left “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor” for Jesus’ name. Their joy remained anchored in Christ.
While blessing God in the midst of adversity is not our natural human response, these examples remind us it is possible by God’s grace at work within us. God gives His children the strength to endure suffering and worship Him through it.
The Blessing of Knowing and Depending on God
On this side of eternity, we will never fully comprehend why God allows suffering. But we do know several key truths about God’s character revealed in Scripture:
- God is good (Psalm 136:1).
- God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4).
- God is sovereign (Psalm 93:1-2).
- God is loving (1 John 4:8).
- God is wise (Romans 11:33-36).
Since God’s nature is perfect, uncompromising, and beyond our capacity to fully grasp, He can be trusted with the unknown. Rather than demanding answers, trials can increase our humility and dependence on God. We must cling to who God says He is even when circumstances tempt us to doubt His goodness.
It is truly a blessing to know the one, true and living God. He is holy, mighty, and awesome. God’s ways and thoughts will always be higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We must trust in the reality that we belong to Him. All that we are and all that we have is from God alone. Sometimes God ordains trials so that we learn to lean on Him rather than ourselves. As Job 13:15 declares, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” Our sovereign, all-powerful God demonstrates His might most profoundly not by removing struggles but by giving us the grace to walk through them while holding fast to Him.
In our culture, denying emotions and minimizing pain often seems noble and strong. However, honestly acknowledging our grief over loss to the Lord allows room for comfort from God. We honor God by acknowledging our sorrow directly to Him, as Jesus did before the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). Bringing raw emotions before God also enables us to receive His peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
Furthermore, blessing the Lord in our pain provides a powerful testimony to others. Nonbelievers notice when Christians cling to hope in God amidst trials. Our patient endurance and reliance on God points directly to the Gospel. As 2 Corinthians 4:17 reminds us, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory.” The trials we face on earth cannot even compare to the glory that awaits us (Romans 8:18). God often uses temporary, painful circumstances to produce eternal blessings.
In Everything Give Thanks
First Thessalonians 5:18 instructs us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” But how can we be thankful when we’re hurting? Psalm 107:1-3 provides insight:
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
We don’t give thanks for the trial itself. Rather, we give thanks in the trial for God’s unchanging presence, comfort, and redemptive purpose. God sometimes uses trials for correction when we turn from Him (Hebrews 12:7-11) and to develop Christlike character within us (Romans 5:3-5). But mostly, adversity highlights our dependence on God.
Gratitude shifts our focus from the immediate trouble to God’s faithfulness. Thanking God reaffirms His control over every circumstance which leads to peace and hope. God often uses pain to draw us closer to Himself. As Psalm 119:71 says, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” Over time we can see evidence of God’s redemption even in our deepest hurts.
Rejoicing Through Grief is Possible by God’s Grace
Attempting to rejoice or give thanks when overwhelmed with pain may seem not only difficult but completely impossible. We cannot manufacture praise for God when our heart feels crushed. But we can cry out to God for His help and strength. The Holy Spirit dwelling within believers enables us to do even what seems impossible.
As Romans 8:26 reminds us, “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” The Holy Spirit “helps us in our weakness” and intercedes on our behalf according to the Father’s will. We also have been given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and access to thepower that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20). By God’s grace, we can rejoice and bless God through any circumstance.
We worship God not primarily for what He gives but for who He is. God never changes. He remains utterly holy, righteous, sovereign, good, loving, just, and perfect. God alone is worthy of our worship when life feels blessed and when everything falls apart. His ways are higher than our ways. Often it is not until eternity that we will grasp the beauty of God’s purposes in our deepest trials.
As Corrie Ten Boom said after surviving a Nazi concentration camp, “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.” Out of reverence for who God is, we can surrender control and trust God’s heart toward us even when we face pain. His sovereign plans will prevail. We can cling to and declare the profound truth that God is always good – in both seasons of giving and taking away.