The Lord Gave and the Lord Took Away: A Man’s Testimony of Trust Through Loss

Frank Wible
Sep 13
3 min read

Daniel was the kind of man everyone admired. He had built a good life — a loving wife, two children, a home of peace, and a business that provided more than enough. For years, he believed his hard work had earned it all.

Then, in a matter of months, everything changed. A fire destroyed his business. A car accident claimed the life of his wife. Not long after, his youngest son fell sick and did not recover. Loss piled upon loss until Daniel’s world felt unrecognizable.

In a season of relentless loss, Daniel’s world burned away until all that remained was grief and unanswered questions.

Friends did not know what to say. Some told him to move on. Others kept their distance, uncomfortable with the depth of his grief. Alone at night, Daniel felt the crushing silence of his empty home.

One night, with his Bible open on the table, his eyes landed on Job 1:21. “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” The words pierced him. They were raw, honest, and brutally real.

Daniel whispered them aloud, tears streaming down his face. He could not deny the pain, but he could not deny the truth either. Everything he had was never really his to begin with. For days, he wrestled with anger and faith. Why would God allow this? How could he still praise Him? Yet Job’s words echoed like a lifeline: the Lord gave and the Lord took away.

Slowly, Daniel began to shift his prayers. Instead of demanding answers, he simply said, “Lord, help me praise You here, even in the ashes.” It was not easy, but it was real.

He started journaling each night. He would write one thing the Lord had given, his salvation, memories of his wife’s laughter, the love of his surviving child. Naming blessings alongside his grief brought a strange peace.

One evening, his older son asked him, “Dad, do you still believe God is good?” Daniel paused, knowing his answer mattered. With trembling voice, he said, “Yes. Even though we hurt, God is still worthy of praise.”

That confession marked a turning point. His son leaned against him, and for the first time in months, Daniel felt the warmth of hope stir again.

When his son asked if he still believed God was good, Daniel’s trembling answer became the spark of hope for both of them.

Healing came slowly. The pain never fully left, but Daniel discovered that grief and faith could coexist. Praising God did not erase sorrow, but it gave him strength to endure it.

People in his community began to notice. Some asked how he could still trust God after so much loss. Daniel would answer simply, “Because He is still God, and He is still good. The Lord gave and the Lord took away.”

His testimony carried weight not because of triumph but because of brokenness. Men struggling with loss sought him out, and he shared openly, pointing them back to Job’s words. Looking back, Daniel admitted he would never choose the road he walked, but he could see how God was using his story to bring comfort to others. Out of ashes, God was building something eternal.

Daniel’s life became a living echo of Job’s prayer. Though stripped of much, he still proclaimed, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” His story reminds every man that faith shines brightest in the dark.

How do you respond when loss shakes your life?