Blessed Be the Name

By Bishop Keith A. Butler

And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job 1:21-22

Job has lost everything he had, and he's in a serious depression. The more important something is to a person, the heavier the depression will be when it is lost. A depressed person is less able to defend himself spiritually or naturally, and thus satan has a greater opportunity to cause destruction, to succeed against him.

Job ranted and raved for a long time but ended up saying, "I'm not going to blame God in all of this." Even though Job wouldn't speak against God, he spoke against God's creations, and he spoke against himself. In fact, it got so bad that the Lord finally said, "Let me ask you some questions since you're cursing everything. Where were you when I hung the moon? Tell me the molecular structure of the human body and how it works" (see Job 38). God began to shut Job's mouth because his mouth was leading him to a place of trouble.

Depression can be extraordinarily dangerous; it can affect your judgment and influence the decisions you make, causing you to make bad ones. It can cause you to compromise your character. That's why God got Job to change his talk.

If you are facing a setback, know that God isn't done yet! In the end, Job overcame his troubles and wound up being more blessed than he was before.

Prayer for Today

Father,
I confess that I am tempted to doubt your goodness when trouble comes my way. Thank you for your Word which encourages me to live with patience. Thank you for godly friends who encourage me to stay true. I commit myself to trusting you and wait before you, until you turn my situation around. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Selah: Think on These Things

• Colossians 1:5
• Titus 2:13