Losing Everything

Hey there, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled Losing Everything was written by Tim Gustafson. The timing couldn't have been worse. After making a small fortune engineering bridges, monuments, and large buildings, Caesar had aspirations of starting a new endeavor. So he sold his first business and banked the money, planning to reinvest it soon. During that brief window, his government seized all assets held in private bank accounts. In an instant, Caesar's life savings evaporated.

Choosing not to view the injustice as a cause to complain, Caesar asked God to show him the way forward. And then he simply started over. In one awful moment, Job lost far more than merely his possessions. He lost most of his servants and all his children. Then he lost his health.

Job's response remains a timeless example for us. He prayed, 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. The chapter concludes in all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Like Job, Caesar chose to trust God. In just a few years, he had built a new business more successful than the first. His story resembles the conclusion of Job's. But even if Caesar had never recovered economically, he knew his real treasure wasn't on this earth anyway.

He would still be trusting God. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Job chapter 1, verses 13-22. One day, when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, The oxen were plowing and donkeys were grazing nearby and the Sabians attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house.

It collapsed on them and they are dead and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you. At this, Job got up, tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said, 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.

In all fairness, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Let's pray. Dear God, when we encounter life-altering circumstances and we can't see a way forward, please remind us that you are with us, that no matter what happens or what falls apart, help us to be able to say, You are good. May the name of the Lord be praised. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.