Daily Light - September 23, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;

blessed be the name of the LORD."

Job 1:21

I usually do not make the Daily Light personal, but I have to share with you something that the Lord has shown me this past week. Some of you may know that this past weekend our home was burglarized. Any of you that have faced such an experience knows the feelings of vulnerability, anger and even fear that come with such an experience. Unfortunately we lost a good deal of cash and some of Susan's jewelry which had as much sentimental value as monetary.

The back story is what could have been and what God has shown me through it. The burglary took place on Saturday evening. Our family was spread out in different places that night. Susan and I had gone with some friends out to dinner. The girls were at the church teen activity, and the boys were playing at a friend's house. Dinner went a little longer than we thought, so some of our friends graciously took the kids home. Our oldest daughter takes care of the kids when we are gone out normally, so it was no big deal. When they got home, the friend that took them home was kind enough to wait until they were inside with the doors closed before he left. We came home just a little while later.

To make a long story short, when we realized our home had been burglarized we thought that there was a possibility that the thieves could have been in the house when the kids came home. At that point the stuff didn't matter no matter how valuable it was. We were so grateful that our children were okay and that nothing had happened to them. That night we went to the Lord and thanked Him and gave Him glory for protecting our family. We even claimed the above verse. We told God Almighty how good He was in spite of all that had happened!

As I lay in bed that night, I felt a burning question in my heart. A question that I do not like to even consider, but one I must ask. "What if your children had been harmed, would God still be good? Would you still bless His name?" I found myself in a great crisis of faith. The one part of me wanted to say yes, but those words would not come so easy. There in the darkness of my room I cried out to God with my heart that no matter what was ever taken from me that I would bless His name. Years ago we gave our children and all that we had to the Lord to do as He pleases. We have surrendered ourselves and all that we have to His will. I am grateful today that my family is well and safe, but I am even more grateful that they are in the hands of the Almighty.

May you be able to say this day, "Blessed be the name of the LORD!"