Read: Job 1-2
I want to sit here and say that I would have reacted the same way Job did; that I would have kept my faith strong no matter what. But as a mother, I honestly pray I never have to experience that kind of pain or sorrow. Losing everything Job lost, especially his children, is almost impossible to comprehend. Job lost nearly everything, and yet he still chose to praise God.
“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
— Job 1:21
Job lost his possessions, his wealth, his livelihood, and his children. The one thing he did not lose was his faith in the Lord. This shows the importance of keeping God first in our lives. Satan believed that Job’s blessings would matter more to him than God Himself. Satan assumed Job’s love was conditional. But Satan was wrong.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
As mothers, it can be easy to place our children at the center of everything: our time, our emotions, our identity. While our love for them is deep and God-given, God must come first, even above our spouse and our family. When God is first, everything else is held in the right order. Of course children are a wonderful thing, they are a gift from God.
“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” – Psalms 127:3
If you read to the end of Job, you see that the Lord blesses him more than before everything was taken away. Job wrestles with his faith, asks hard questions, and grieves deeply; but he never lets go of the Lord.
“A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”
— Ecclesiastes 4:12
When God is woven into the center of our lives, and our families, we are held together, even in the hardest seasons. My husband and I braided together a cord of 3 strands during our wedding ceremony as symbolism for putting God at the center of our lives. Now, with two little blessings earthside and one in heaven, we still aim to keep God at the center.
Today was a difficult day in the world of parenting a toddler; filled with meltdowns, yelling, tears, power struggles, defiance, back talk, and so on. My oldest just turned three and is a very intelligent and very independent little guy. We are currently in the “I can do it myself … but help me … but don’t” phase. I could not parent him without God and I do not even want to try.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” – James 1:5
Enjoy this video of a parent pausing to pray amidst disciplining his child. I’m not sure if it was staged or not, but regardless, I want to be more like this!
Discussion Question
How have you personally responded to God during a season of loss, difficulty, or stress? How would you like to respond in the future?
Respond below!
A Note from the Author
Hello everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to share a bit about the Bible verse studies, devotionals, and prayers that I put together. While I strive to offer meaningful insights and reflections, it’s important to clarify that I am not a trained or licensed biblical professional. My goal is not to provide expert theological advice but to share my personal knowledge, beliefs, and experiences as I read and reflect on the Holy Bible.
The insights I offer come from my own understanding and spiritual journey. I approach these reflections with the intention of sharing what personally resonates with me and what I’ve learned through my own study of Scripture. I hope these thoughts are helpful and encouraging, but they are based on my personal perspective rather than formal theological training.
This specific Bible study is based off the book A Beautiful Year in the Bible The 52-Week Bible Study for Women by a series of wonderful authors Copyrighted by Alabaster Creative Inc. I do not own the rights to this book and am not claiming to. I am using the book to create my own version of the Bible in 365 days and continue to direct God’s word towards women, more specifically mothers.
Thank you for your understanding and for joining me in this journey of faith and reflection.
Blessings,
Maria Wilcoxon
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