The Lord Gives and Takes

Proverbs 22:2

22The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all.

Many of you have heard the saying, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes it away." It's not just a saying. It is what Job said in the first chapter after God allowed Satan to take away his wealth. Satan believed that the only reason Job praised God was because he was extremely wealthy and had many children. God knew Job and knew that no matter what he had or didn't have, Job was going to still praise Him because he loved Him.  Can God say that about you? Can He say that no matter what He gives you or takes from you that you will still praise Him? King Solomon understood this lesson also because the gift he received was a kingdom but for his disobedience, God allowed most of his kingdom to be stripped from him. The Lord is the one who provides the ability to gain wealth. He is also the one who can allow hardship to come. Many talk about the book of Job but do not understand the dual message present. God is the provider or Jehovah Jireh and He is the one who sees or Jehovah Roi. He is the one who knows if you are a good steward. He is the one who knows if you truly love Him in your heart or simply love the gifts He gives as if He is Santa. What God wants to know is will you show how much you really love Him? Satan thought he was going to find charge against Job and that simply he only worshiped God because he had wealth, health, prestige in the land and many children. But God proved that taken all of it away wouldn't change Job's heart. Job did not suffer from the sickness of, "the love of money" as Jesus described in Matthew. Job had the love of the Lord in his heart first.