Job 1:6-7 One day, the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan. Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
Do not miss this. Your enemy would have you believe he really does not exist. You would be fed lies about how the idea of Satan is just cartoons, fiction, scary movies. Yes, there is a “devil”, but he’s just a fictional character or worse, he exists but has no power whatsoever. Do not miss this. Do you not see what is written in the Word? He prowls the earth, watching everything and everyone. He looks for weakness, chinks in your armor that he can penetrate. He searches for those that please me in order to try to take them down, to sow doubt in their faith, to separate them from me. Look to see what I allowed him to do in the life of Job. Job was a man who pleased me. He was a man who sought to be close to me, to do my will, to follow my laws. That is a man who threatens your enemy. So he sought to sow doubt in Job’s faith. He wanted Job to curse me instead of honoring me. He wanted Job to walk away from me. So he did everything I would allow him to do to wreck Job’s life. Note that: everything “I would allow him to do”. Satan is not equal to me. He is only allowed to do what I allow him to do, and for however long I allow him to do it. And that time is coming to an end. He knows it and is ramping up his attempts to waylay believers, to distract my children from what is important – faith and obedience. Fires. Earthquakes. Flooding. “Natural” disasters. Wars and rumors of wars. Violence. Graft and corruption. None of this is new and none of this is outside of my control. However, my children choose what to do, how to react, what to focus on, whom to serve. And I allow that free will. So choose. Will you pay attention to the bright, shiny events and things thrown at you? Will you allow what is happening around you to dictate what occurs within you? Will you allow the evil that surrounds you to pry you away from my side? Will you be earthly-minded or God-minded? You choose with every thought, every word, every action. Do I want you to ignore what is happening around you? Do I want you to be ignorant of your world and what evil is occurring? No. But neither do I wish that you drown in those things. I do not want you to be so wrapped up in what is happening around you that you fail to look up – focus on me – look inward to see my Spirit within you. That is the real battle – the battle for your soul – the battle to direct your walk – the battle to control your emotions, your thoughts, your spirit. If you lose that battle, your enemy wins. Stick close to me. Look at me. Listen for my voice in the noise of your human life. Be aware and then offer it all up to me to resolve. These, ultimately, are my battles. I will direct your part in the war, but the victory is mine and mine alone. You cannot fight – nor win – alone. But I do need you to engage. And I need you to share me with the lost in your world. I am the only Hope. I am the only Truth. I am the only Life. You know this – but countless others do not. Help them, but as you do, expect opposition. Let it neither surprise you nor dismay you. I will be with you to counter that opposition. And, as so many say without really believing it – the battle is mine and I will win.
Amanuensis 