blessed be the name of the Lord.

"Through the trials and the pain....."

"..You give and take away, but blessed be YOUR name, Lord..."



The Lord has been so awesome in walking me through the book of Job in this season of my life, and it couldn't have been a more perfect time for me to read this special book. What a man of God Job was... he dealt with pounds and pounds of heartbreak and grief yet not ONCE did he forsake the name of the Lord, or lose trust in his Savior. It was such a conviction to me.

Through this season in my life the Lord has surely given me plenty, yet taken away plenty as well. Both blessings and heartbreaks have occurred and it got to a point where I was literally so fed up and overwhelmed I didn't think I could take another disappointment. It's always in those desperate times the Lord swoops down and saves you with His hand. Not once has He allowed me to be part in anything that I couldn't handle.

Reading the first chapter in Job, it states that after all the losses, hard ships, brokenness and failures he went through, he cried out,

"Naked I come from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave, and the Lord has taken away; BLESSED be the name of the Lord!"
Wow! What a sweet tenderhearted and DEVOTED man Job was to His precious Savior...even through all that heartache and trials. Not once did Job curse the name of God or state anything wrongfully of Him. Yet he trusted in God's precious plan for his life.

This season of my life, I have felt like Job has. Through many hardships and trials, I have often times felt desperate, hopeless, frustrated, aggravated, and upset almost questioning God's faithfulness in my life -- and why? There is NO reason for me to doubt God's goodness, and after reading bits and pieces of Job's life, I feel quite convicted because not once did he curse the name of our Father even after all the junk he went through. Talk about pure love and dedication to him and the Lord's relationship.

My prayer is that in times of desperation and trials, the only words that would come out of my mouth and heart would be... "Blessed be the name of the LORD."

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. . . .Bless the LORD, O my soul!" ~ Psalm 103:1-5, 22