"God Is The Shield - Part 2"

"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 devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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