Oh, it's just you?

       One of the great heroes of our faith, Mr Smith Wigglesworth, told a story of one night while asleep.  He had been having terribly frightening dreams.  At some point he awoke and aware of a demonic presence, looked around the room. There, near the foot of the bed was Satan himself. With a sigh, Smith simply said, "Oh, it's just you." rolled over and went back to sleep.

       Sometimes, some days, some years Satan seems to have so much power over our lives. It seems that there could be no possible way that the God who created us and loves us so dearly would let any of those terrible things happen in our lives.  The key in that thought is that He allows those things to happen. God does not and never will cause the turmoil in our lives because we live under the new covenant.

    I think about my own children. If my son comes and asks for a bicycle am I going to run to the store and buy him a beautiful, brand new, leather bound encyclopedia set?  Of course not; he's gonna get a bike. I am human and evil lurks around me and in me. But if I know how to give him what he wants, how much better will the gifts that God gives as He knows our desires and futures?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2011:11-13&version=NIV

    Why do these things happen do us then?  Perhaps more importantly, how do we stay faithful and confident in God despite of and because of our own struggles.  The answer is revealed in the book of Job.  Job had everything that anyone could ever possibly want.  A family, friends, a home and wealth. But more than all of that he had absolutely unwavering faith.  Job is described as blameless, upright, God fearing and able to shun evil.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=job%201:1&version=NIV

In the story of Job we find some interesting things.  We start in Heaven where God and Satan are in the middle of a debate. Satan is certain that the only reason that Job has such great faith is the wealth and good fortune in his life. God of course knows differently and grants Satan permission to do anything he wants to Job, except for taking his life.

That quick summary says everything that we will ever need to know about what comes from who. Through a Godly life, Job had a life most would envy. It was only AFTER Satan was allowed access that loss entered the story.  With free reign in Jobs life Satan takes all that he can.  Livestock, servants, ten children and his health.

 Jobs friends believe that the loss and agony he is going through is the direct result from sin that he had committed.  Job refuses to believe this and wonders how God could possibly judge us when He could just as easily forgive us.  God finally interupts and tells Job the truths about what is happening. Job immediately finds his friends living under their own laws. Job finally hears the Voice and begins his journey. Job not only begins again, but this more faith and God gives back to him double what he had.

What is the one thing the God wants?  Us to love Him of course. Loving Him means we have to turn our back to the world and press forward. The temptations are great and difficult.  However, there is nothing on this planet that can compare to the wonders of Christs glorious return. Unfortuneatly, the more faith we have, the harder the enemy tries to distract us.

James 4:7 says that if we put Him first, then Satan will flee from us and our Chirst.  Flee is defined as running away from danger.  Our God, our Christ, our Spirit is the most dangerous thing that he can imagine. I'm thankful that Satan knows the Bible and the power its words have. I'm thankful that nobody, including him, know the time of Christs return. It is that lack of knowledge that makes Satan flee.  He's read the book too. He knows that at some point Christ will throw him into the lake of fire for all eternity. What he doesn't know is if that will happen today, tomorrow or 5,000 years from now.  His ignorance and God's promises are our greatest weapons.  Are you ready to fight?