God gives so much, and yes, it is true that God does sometimes take away as well. It seems almost cruel to give and then take away. But let us keep in mind that the Bible clearly teaches us that God gives out of abundant love, not in a mean-spirited way. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God’s only Son is the greatest gift God could give to undeserving mankind, but He did it, so that you and I would not have to perish but enjoy eternal life in His presence! And “He, who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
God enjoys bestowing excellent gifts—such as the necessities of existence or happiness, love, and serenity—in large quantities upon his offspring. “They (the children of mankind) feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights,” is a characteristic of God that David was aware of. (Psalm 36:8)
God does take away sometimes
As previously said, God does occasionally take away. Job 1:13–19 states that he took away Job’s children, fortune, and health. Job’s misfortunes were all caused by Satan, even if God was not the direct cause of them; without God’s permission, Satan could not have carried out any of his misdeeds (Job 1:12). Why did God permit Job to experience such a great deal of suffering? Why did God permit Job to lose all of the good gifts that He had bestowed upon him?
Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD,” without contesting God’s authority to act in this way. Job 1:21 “Will we receive good from God and not evil?” is another question. Job 2:10. Job did cry out to God in despair because He didn’t comprehend God’s ways, but he acknowledged that the Lord is sovereign and can do as He sees fit. He admitted that, initially, he didn’t deserve these things. At the close of the book of Job, when Job receives an abundance of gifts, God’s generosity is once again revealed (Job 42: 10–13).
Job was never given a clear explanation for why all these terrible things occurred. Job is taught by God that He is the universe’s almighty and sovereign Creator and Ruler (Job chapters 38-41). In the end, it is not for us humans to understand why God takes away from us in this way. His knowledge surpasses ours by an unfathomable measure. Nevertheless, Romans 8:28–29 does show us a hint of God’s intelligence in how He has treated us. Everything that occurs in our lives is meant to be positive, bringing forth the image of His Son in those of us who are His lovers! God’s ultimate goal for everyone of us is holiness, not happiness.
Additional light
More insight into the subject of suffering is provided by the conclusion of Romans 8. An excerpt from Psalm 44:22 opens it. This Psalm bemoans the state of Israel and calls on God to intervene on their behalf—after all, they are His chosen people! This passage from Romans 8:35–39 is framed by the assurance that, despite significant suffering, God’s children—His chosen people—will never be separated from His abiding love for them! Even though God feels it is right to take away our most treasured possessions, He will never cease giving us His greatest gift, which is His unending love, which is demonstrated in Jesus Christ.
