Loading... Job 1:11 - HE WILL CURSE THEE
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Why did Satan tell God that if God removed HIS hedge of protection around Job that Job would curse God? Satan was able to say that because that is human nature. Satan knows that when things go bad, it is human nature for us to blame God. How often have you heard; How can a loving God allow that person to die or that person to suffer so much? Satan understands the nature of man and how when things go wrong, the last person who receives our respect is God.
However, just because it is human nature to blame God when things go wrong in your life, that does not mean that you have to fall into the same trap and do the same. When you were young, your mother probably said something like, if all the kids in the neighborhood were to jump off a cliff; would you? Just because everyone else blames God and allows themselves to become depressed, this does not mean that you must do the same.
Satan assumed that Job would be like everyone else. Satan assumed that as soon as Job faced difficult times, he would curse God for allowing such terrible things to happen to him. Satan knew that Job had a free will to refuse to submit, but he figured that human nature would prevail over Job.
Job had a free will and just because everyone else would curse God when they faced difficult times, that did not mean that he was obligated to do the same. Job understood the principle that God had given everything to him and as such, God could take it all away. Because Job understood that everything he had came from God, he was in a better position to overcome the temptations that Satan brought his way.
God is not going to give you a trial that you are not able to bear. This promise by God means that there is no temptation that you will face that you will not be able to say no to. You can be like everyone else and yield to the temptation as Satan thought Job would do, or you can be like Job and stand alone and refuse to allow your circumstances to dictate your attitude towards God.
What temptations do you face that you are likely to yield to? Satan knows your weakness and he will try to get you to yield to temptation so that at the end of the day, your trust in God will be weakened. Satan knows that when you sin, he is able to use that sin to remind you how you have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Satan will use the guilt of your sin to decrease your ability to serve HIM.
Job is an example of patience. Job endured great trials and remained faithful to God. Job understood that Satan was going to give his best shot, but because Job kept his eyes upon God, he was able to overcome. When you face temptation, you need to understand that Satan is trying to tempt you so as to diminish your effectiveness for God. You do not have to give Satan the victory and instead you can allow God to give you the grace to overcome your temptation.
It does not matter what your trial or temptation is, you can overcome it as long as you rely upon the strength of the blood of Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes focused upon HIM and understand that this difficult time is only for a season. As long as you remain focused upon God you can follow the example of Job and not be like everyone else. Maybe if you remained focused upon God, God will be bragging about you up in heaven.