Give The Enemy No Credit

Job 1:20
Then Job arose, and tore his coat, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped

Job 2
9 Then said his wife unto him, Do you still hold fast to your integrity? curse God, and die.
10 But he said to her, You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak. What? Shall we accept only good at the hand of God and shall we not accept evil? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.

  • Job never mentions the devil. He never gives the enemy any credit and never attributes to him any power or ability. He only sees and only fears His sovereign God who he is intimately acquainted with. Who he has walked with, talked with, trusted and proven!
  • It’s true that Paul talks of being hindered to the Thessalonians but… He DOES NOT say that the work of God was hindered. He DOES NOT say that his faith in or fellowship with Christ was hindered. He DOES NOT say that God’s sovereign plan was hindered! he only mentions it in passing concerning a personal desire to see them.
  • Born Again believers, the Temples of The Holy Ghost, who ought to be abiding in Christ and in the secret place of The Most High (where no evil can be!!), often give the devil far too much attention and give not enough reverence to the sovereignty of Almighty God!! The devil cannot touch God’s children abiding in Him without permission and that… Will always be for His glory to be revealed!
  • The devil has as much power over you as you attribute to him. Yes the devil is a powerful, crafty foe… But He is a defeated enemy before the sons and daughters of God.

Luke 22
31 “Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain;
32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith].”

  • Jesus is saying that Satan will indeed sift you!! But the sifting is only to reveal the grain! Let the chaff (flesh) be removed and let the glory of God be revealed as we abide in Him and keep looking unto Jesus who is the beginning and the end, the author and finisher, the Risen, Conquering King!! The one who has all things placed under His feet!! ABIDE IN HIM!!! He is the power and the glory! Yield and submit to His sovereign plan and timing. Trust in His faithfulness and loving ways. The sifting is painful but “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold [pure and luminous].” Job 23:10
  • Follow in Jobs example. Give the devil no credit. Attribute to him no power. When He is given permission to sift… Then may we be found on our faces in worship before The Almighty, Sovereign God! Hallelujah!!

Questioning God

Exodus 17:7 
“And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?”

• It is staggering to consider what their eyes have seen and witnessed; to consider all that the children of Israel have been brought through; to consider the intimacy and tenderness that The Lord God has shown them… and their hearts still yet question The Lord!!

• May we never be so blind as to question the presence, goodness and love of God! We can be so quick to judge the Israelites as foolish but let us be careful for we too can be just as guilty and just as selfish, foolish and ungrateful.

Psalm 139:7 Where shall I go from your spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence? – Consider the whole psalm.

Hebrews 13:5 “for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

• How tenderly and compassionately The Lord watches over His people. What a precious comfort is the watchful eye of our Good Shepherd! Our all sufficient one! Our Wonderful Counsellor! Our Saviour! Our Father! It is a great sin indeed to question His love and attention to His children. It is a clear sign of an unbelieving heart to ask such a thing. Such a question must so grieve The Lord!

Faith

The bible says that “faith without works is dead”. We read in the book of Hebrews over and over of people who “by faith”… did!! They all acted through obedience and trusted in the promise of God… Paul writes, “by grace ye are saved, through faith”. In modern english – Through trust in God’s word and obedience to it’s commands, you are saved by His grace!! Continue reading “Faith”