The problem with books like "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas Kempis, The Desert Fathers, and other devotionals of the sort is they often caricature Christ. For example they claim that Christ, "takes away..," and requires self denial to the extreme. All major instances of loss are attributed to the LORD removing from you distractions that have made Him jealous. The ascetic perspective of the Almighty is not only antithetical to Scripture, it is a complete and utter false identity superimposed on to the Supreme Savior. For Jesus said if we are to lose things we shall receive more in return, "And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19:29). The ascetics and monastics would have you believe that receiving these replacements for your losses only comes after you repose, but the truth is that LORD restored exactly this to Job after His many losses (Job 42:10).
We serve a Godhead (Trinity) that gives. He forgives our sins (1 John 1:9). He gave His Only Begotten Son (John 3:16). Salvation is a free gift, not earned (Ephesians 2:8-9). He gives us eternal life (John 10:28). The Lord gives us rest (Matthew 11:28). He gives us the Holy Spirit (John 20:20-22), the Holy Spirit gives us Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), Christ gives us abundant life (John 10:10), Christ gives us an easy yoke or religious life (Matthew 11:30), He gives us mansions in heaven (John 14:2), He gives us Hope (Romans 8:24-39, Romans 5:3-5), He gives us a New Jerusalem City (Revelation 21:1-53), The Lord Jesus gives us spouses (Proverbs 19:14), The Father gives us are sustenance and food (Matthew 6:26-34), Jesus gives us the Bread of Himself (John 6), He gives us Truth (James 1:18, John 14:6+Colossians 1:27), He has given us understanding (1 John 5:20), He has given us His anointing (1 John 2:27), He has given us power, love, and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7), He has given us love (1 John 3:16 and 1 John 4:19 because God is love 1 John 4:8), and God gives us all things, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32), and "“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:24-33)
We do not serve stingy God, He has given us everything we own because He made all things (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Genesis 1:26-27) and He holds all things together through Him (Colossians 1:17). Ever piece of paper, plastic, metal, and etc. comes from some resource that God made; even this digital world was made by materials that God created and man has forged through these materials. I am tired of hearing the emphasis in this verse, "He said, "I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!" (Job 1:21). The emphasis on He takes away in song "He gives and Takes Away!" But we must be careful, that was Job at beginning of his woes and you discover the whole reason God is punishing Job is not because of Sin, but because He makes the LORD out to be harsh, and so the identity of God is tainted and maligned. We also must remember the Old Testament and Its laws are obsolete, "When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear" (Hebrews 8:13), "Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant," (Hebrews 9:15), "In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you," (Luke 22:20), "And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life," (2 Corinthians 3:6), "For what the Law could not do (save us), weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit," (Romans 8:3-4), "Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses," (Acts 13:38-39), "So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith," (Galatians 3:23--26), "Those trying to be justified by works of Law have been severed from Christ and fallen away from Grace," (Galatians 5:4), and "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” (Acts 15:10-11). We are not under the Law, but Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Old Testament is only useful now to see Jesus the Son of Man and Son of God in Old Testament, and prophecies of the prophets that foretold the coming of Christ. Thus to quote Job is a misnomer, because we serve a God He gave His Only Son and Himself because they are One (John 10:30, John 17:20-23). In case people should come to a conclusion that God had different personality in the Old Testament, let me assuage your doubts, God was willing to show mercy and give Sodom and Ghemorrah a chance (Genesis 18:16-33), He spared Nineveh when it repented (Jonah 3:6-10 ESV), He stood with Daniel's friends in furnace (Daniel 3:19-25), He delivered his people from slavery and bondage and gave them spoils of Egypt (Exodus 12:35-36), He feed them in wilderness with manna and meat (Exodus 16:35 Numbers 11), He gave Abraham a covenant and a son late in life named Isaac, even when Abraham sought to slay Isaac, God stopped Abraham with an angel (Genesis 22:9-18, note the whole sacrifice, Abraham not withholding his own son is foreshadowing of how God Father does not withhold His only Son as sacrifice for our sins John 3:16 and Galatians 1:4), and provided a lamb. God ate with Moses and elders, and wanted to be close to Israel (Exodus 24:1-16, Exodus 20:1-21), and God gave promises that He would come in flesh, be born of a Virgin, and save His people from their sins, as well as the Gentiles and all nations (Isaiah 53, the OT prophecies are shared in the New Testament Romans 10, Romans 14, Romans 15) which was fulfilled by Jesus Christ who is same God.
God is a giver. It's part of his nature and character. So are we because we are made in His image (Genesis 1:27). Anything God takes away will be restored a hundred fold. Kempis, The Monastics, and ascetics malign God's character by making him a "taker" instead of a "Giver." Thus creating a form of godliness that makes people resent God as taker or thief, when it is the devil that steals, "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I (Jesus) have come to give you abundant life." (John 10:10). The devil through ascetics and monastics steals and changes God's identity making Him appear to be a taker and thief when the truth is God the Trinity is a giver; He even gave himself for our sins (Galatians 1:4, Titus 2:14). Abba Father only takes away bad things like any good father who takes away something harmful that hurts his children.
To be clear I am not saying to treat the Godhead as an Americano Genie (Disney's Aladdin or I Dream of Jeannie). We should not turn the LORD into a gift dispenser, but rather relate to Him as a loving God and know Him personally (John 17:3, Philippians 3:8) as our friend, Father, and Bridegroom; but part of His nature no doubt is a gift giver and giver. We should keep in mind He is not a taker, He is a giver and wants to give us the desires of our heart, "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires." (Psalms 37:4), but notice it says delight in LORD first, just as it says "Seek first the Kingdom and His Righteousness, and then all these things will be added unto you," (Matthew 6:33), and finally, "Love the LORD God will all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, this is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:36-40). But part of what wells up love in God our Savior is He gave us Himself for our sins (Galatians 1:4), He loved us first (1 John 4:19), and He gives us all things (Romans 8:32). Another side of spectrum we should be wary of is ignoring God's gifts and that He gives us both physical, spiritual, and other gifts. Even His birthday was full of gifts, with Magi giving gold, frankincense, and myrrh which came from God the Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit because He made all things (John 1:3) and because the LORD called the Magi to visit the Son. Gift giving is in our nature because God is a giver, and sure we love this part of Him; let us never become like people in Wilderness who murmured, gripped, and complained over God's gifts (Numbers 14:2, Numbers 14:29, Exodus 16:2), and so never entered God's rest (Hebrews 3:12-19). The Godhead loves us and gives to us. Anything He takes away is like surgeon taking away cancer with scalpel. Amen.
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