"Hast not thou
made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on
every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is
increased in the land." Job 1:10
Yesterday we talked about God
Himself being the shield of protection around us. In the story of Job we
discovered that the "hedge" that was around Job was God his shield. In the Book
of Job we see satan testing and tempting Job. How could this happen if God
was Job's shield? Because there was an opening in the hedge. How did it get
there? It was there because God removed a small part of Himself which provided
an opening to let satan get to Job. That is what we mean when we say, "God
allowed it".
When God removes a small part
of Himself from around you, thus allowing satan to "touch" you-- (satan can't
touch you other wise because he is not strong enough or smart enough to get
through God)-- there are three things you need to remember while going through
this time.
1) God is still, and always
will be, in control. He is watching over the situation and will not allow you
to be tempted above what you are able to bear. He will not allow satan to
destroy you. "And the Lord said unto Satan,
Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine
hand. And the Lord said unto Satan,
Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life." (Job 1:12a;
2:6)
2) God is not mad at
you. He is not against you. He does not hate you. He is not punishing you.
He only has good thoughts that He thinks about you and not evil thoughts when He
allows satan to come against you. "For I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an
expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11)
3) God causes all things to
work together for your good. He will bring something good to you out of it.
"And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) There was nothing "good" about
what Job suffered but God brought "good" out of it. In Job's case the "good"
that came out of it was not that Job received back more than he had lost, but
that he got a revelation of God that he had never had before. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of
the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee." (Job 42:5) Before his trial,
although he was a worshipper, he only knew God through what he had heard about
Him. At the end of the trial, he saw God for himself and now knew Him
personally.
We are not exempt from trials. There
will be times when God allows the enemy to test us. But if you will remember
these three things-- God is in control, He loves you and only has good thoughts
about you, and He will work this out for your good-- you will make it through it
and be victorious like Job. "So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his
beginning." (Job 42:12a)
Have a great day. When God allows the
enemy to test you, He is still in control, He loves you and He will bring good
on your behalf out of it.
For further
reading:
Job 42
1 Corinthians
10:13
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Coffee Break is a morning
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