M
Job 38 v 8-11 who set up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb; when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness. When I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said "this far you may come and not further, here is where your proud waves halt".
There is some comfort in knowing that despite storms and floods, God has set limits both naturally and metaphorically.
Job 2 - God's conversation with satan when God said Job's life must be spared - God put limits on the test, He said this far you can go but no further.
I have been thinking about this conversation, the thought occurred to me that Job was so blameless and upright that satan could not find any open doors through which to attack him. There were no chinks in Job's armour - wow to be like Job!
In the end the only way satan could do anything to Job was with God's permission of a test. For most of us this is not necessary, we are only too willing to open the door to satan and he does not need God's permission as we give him our permission.
We tend to think "oh poor Job, wouldn't want to be him". But maybe we need to be more like Job and not allow the slightest chink in our armour. We have more armour available to us that Job ever did. We are covered by the blood of the lamb - not a temporary sacrifice of an animal, but the one and only sacrifice of Jesus.
The other thing - satan is cunning, he knows illness and troubles bring changes to our perspective and that they affect the way we think. What if they did not affect the way we think, is it possible to decide beforehand how we will handle the circumstances of life. Maybe there is a need to train ourselves up before the battle arrives and decide who we are going to serve and who we are going to believe, who will be our strong tower, in whom our faith lies.
There is some comfort in knowing that despite storms and floods, God has set limits both naturally and metaphorically.
Job 2 - God's conversation with satan when God said Job's life must be spared - God put limits on the test, He said this far you can go but no further.
I have been thinking about this conversation, the thought occurred to me that Job was so blameless and upright that satan could not find any open doors through which to attack him. There were no chinks in Job's armour - wow to be like Job!
In the end the only way satan could do anything to Job was with God's permission of a test. For most of us this is not necessary, we are only too willing to open the door to satan and he does not need God's permission as we give him our permission.
We tend to think "oh poor Job, wouldn't want to be him". But maybe we need to be more like Job and not allow the slightest chink in our armour. We have more armour available to us that Job ever did. We are covered by the blood of the lamb - not a temporary sacrifice of an animal, but the one and only sacrifice of Jesus.
The other thing - satan is cunning, he knows illness and troubles bring changes to our perspective and that they affect the way we think. What if they did not affect the way we think, is it possible to decide beforehand how we will handle the circumstances of life. Maybe there is a need to train ourselves up before the battle arrives and decide who we are going to serve and who we are going to believe, who will be our strong tower, in whom our faith lies.
