23 11 / 2010
You give and You take away
But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.
2 Samuel 12:19-20
You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say. Lord, Blessed Be Your Name! These words are from the bridge of the song “Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman, but far too often, the truth of these words are effectively masked by the upbeat and joyful melody of the song. I am convinced, because of my own experiences, that we, as Christians, don’t fully understand the magnitude of the words that we are singing ever so passionately. It seems as if God is only good when life is good. When difficult or hopeless circumstances arise, our faith in God is nowhere to be found. I have seen and heard about too many stories where a “devout” Christian completely abandons God when life gets tough. Have we forgotten that God gives AND also takes away? Can we say that we have true faith, when we don’t trust Him when we are most in need? These are tough questions to answer, but we must have a honest assessment of our own faith if we truly desire to grow closer to Jesus Christ. As always, my opinion/perspective on the state of Christianity does not apply to all Christians, for I know many amazing Christians who continue to actively live for the Kingdom of God despite losing so much. I write this particular post to challenge and to encourage those Christians who are like myself and have found ourselves forgetting that God is still sovereign and good, even in times of pain, anger, or frustration.
In 2 Samuel 12, we read about king David experiencing the death of his newborn son. While the child was sick, we read that David wept and fasted until the child eventually dies. Most of us (including myself) probably have not experienced the death of a child, but the pain and sorrow that must have come from such an experience must have been unbearable. Once the child dies, David reacts in a way that is contrary to what most people would do. Instead of becoming depressed or angry at God, we see David simply washing himself and going into the house of the Lord to worship. After worshiping, David is able to eat again and presumably goes on with his regular life. Even though the story seems extremely straightforward, I think there is much we can learn from David and the way in which we ought to approach our own hardships.
The first truth that we must fully grasp is that trials of various kinds WILL come (James 1:2). It is not a matter of will it, but it is when. Also, being Christian does not exempt us from going tough circumstances, and in fact, being Christian may mean that we go through more trials. Hebrews 12:6 says that the Lord disciplines the one he loves. If you have already gone through many trials, be assured that even more trials may come. If you have not gone through any tough trials, be assured that some trials will eventually come your way. The important point is not that trials will come, but how we react and approach these tough circumstances. When David’s son died, we read that the first thing he did was to go into the house of the Lord to worship. When unfortunate situations arise, we must first go to God! Instead of blaming God and trying to figure things out on our own, go to God! If we are angry or frustrated at someone or something, go to God! Pray to Him! Worship Him! We all know that God gives and takes away, but BELIEVE IT! Trust that God is still sovereign and good DURING our toughest circumstances.
John Piper, a well known pastor and theologian, coined the phrase, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.” The profound truth of this quote is so relevant and true! Our heavenly Father is indeed most glorified in and through us when we are most satisfied in our God in times of blessing, but especially in times of loss. Just imagine how glorifying God looks when we look to Him and trust in Him when we are most broken and in need. If our lives are to be lived for God’s glory, let us glorify God in this way! The next time we go through a tough situation, let us trust in God and in His goodness! Our lives here on earth may constantly be tough and hard, but God is still good and therefore deserves our worship! Even if our entire life is falling apart, let us have the courage and resolve to sing and proclaim “BLESSED BE YOUR NAME!”
