There was a very wealthy man who lived a long time ago. He feared God. He was a righteous man. He obeyed God. He had a large family. Many would say he had found “the good life.” He could be deemed a success by any standard.
Meanwhile, unknown to him a confrontation was taking place in heaven between the God of the Universe and the god of this world. The issue was the motivation for this man’s godly life. The accusation was that anyone would live godly if you paid him off. So the god of this world was given the right to remove all the “things” that made the man rich. All of his possessions were destroyed or removed. Even his children were taken from him in a single instant.
As a result, the man’s wife strongly advised him, “Curse God and die.” That might be the normal reaction to such a tragedy. Interestingly, he did just the opposite. He thanked God. To paraphrase him, “I came into this world with nothing, I will leave the same way—taking nothing. Praise God.” You can read more about this man in the first chapter of Job.
Why do you think it is so hard to let go of things, or even people, that God takes away?
Esther Long says
This might seem simplistic, but they aren’t totally committed and submissive to the holy will of God.