Job 1:21—“The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Those words of Job are among the purest expressions of faith in all Scripture. They were spoken not in comfort, but in catastrophe. In a single day, Job lost his wealth, his servants, and his children. Yet instead of charging God foolishly, he fell down and worshipped. Here we find a doctrine of suffering that bows us low, yet lifts us up.

First, Job confesses that every good gift is from the LORD: “The LORD gave.” His prosperity was not luck, skill, or mere circumstance. It was the hand of God. This is where gratitude begins when we confess that nothing we have is ours by entitlement. All we possess is received, not deserved. All is mercy.

Second, Job acknowledges the painful truth: “The LORD hath taken away.” Job does not deny secondary causes, such as raiders, wind, disaster, but he looks beyond them to the sovereign God who rules over all. This is not fatalism. It is faith in the God whose good purposes no tragedy can overthrow.

Finally, Job responds with worship: “Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job blesses not his circumstances, but God’s Name, which denotes His holy character, His wise rule, and His unchanging goodness. Here is the heart of mature faith: God is worthy of praise even when His ways are hidden in darkness.

Let our hearts remain open, and our mouths remain full of praise to our God, in every condition. If He gives, we thank Him; if He takes, we still bow in worship. For the same Lord who permits loss is the Lord who redeems, restores, and will one day wipe away every tear.