Saturday, January 22, 2011

He gives and takes away, and then...

For some time now I have been hit pretty hard with dreams waking up.  Various nightmares, hardships, and identity stabs.  But through it all, the Lord has awakened me with such sweet revelation, aimed at completely counteracting whatever worry has consumed me in my dreams.

This morning was particularly sweet!

In my dream, I was losing the things I most cared about, and the people who I respect the most were advising that what I was chasing was not right for me. I was losing everything, and at the Lord's doing.

I awoke so upset and downhearted, and fearful that I was clinging to things that were not from the Lord.

But He put this phrase in my mind: "The Lord gives, and He takes away, but He always ends with giving. If He is not giving, it is not the end."  What sweet encouragement!

Then He took me through the relationship of the world and Jesus:

-He was with us in the beginning
-Then the fall led Him to have a degree of separation.
-We waited for thousands of years [with various givings and taking aways of the Lord- all in line with our obedience and disobedience], and then He returned to us!!
-Then He was taken away at His death.
-Then He rose on the 3rd day and was with us again
-Then He ascended to heaven, and we were seemingly without Him. [mt 28:20]
-Then He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us
-Many will be put to death for love of Him
-And then He will return to us, never to leave again!!

And so we can know this of Him: He does indeed give and take away, but He always always ends with giving for those who love Him. If He has not given, it is not the end.

Be encouraged by the original proclamation:

"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

What a glorious response on Job's part- in the place of taking away, still He says may the Lord's Name be praised!

But what's great, is that He DIDN'T go to the grave naked!

"After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. [...] The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part."
-Job 42: 10, 12a

The Lord gives, and He takes away, but He always ends with giving! If He he has not given, it is not the end.