Devotions – 2017.03.07
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.
1 Corinthians 10,13
Once the sons of God assembled before His throne, also Satan was there. They spoke about Job. Satan said that it was easy for Job to believe, because God had richly blessed him. But God said to Satan: Well, all Job‘s possessions are in your hands, but you must not harm Job himself. Job stayed with his faith and praised God. Satan came back before God and complained: Now, for his life man will give everything. Job will forsake you, if I can strike himself. Well, said God, he is in your hands. Only spare his life. Satan struck Job with many evil plagues, however Job did not forsake his faith.
God knew Job, He knew how strong his faith was. Usually we do not know why God allows temptation, misfortune or illness. We only know that He sets the boundaries: this far and no step further! – so will He command Satan. Yes, our Lord is the Lord, He has the last word! In temptation we realize, how much is set on posessions and in disease we realize how much health means to us. Possessions and health are good, and God wants us to possess and be healthy. However they must not compete for the first place in our hearts. God will test us, so we can realize this ourselves.
God does not leave us alone in the temptation, He is especially near to us when the temptations come. Until God takes the misfortunes off, we want to hold fast and stay connected to Him.
God can immediately heal illness and He often does this. Bur sometimes he doesn‘t. Then it is important, that we do not grumble, but leave him to be the Lord and despite this thank Him. He kann bless us with possessions, but when He takes our riches, then we want to hold tightly to Him, because he will He care for everything and also for us. He is our God and we are His children. But we do not need understand everything that He does. He is so much smarter than us.
After the temptations were over, God blessed Job and made Him well, and gave back double what had lost. The connection between God and Job was much more intimate than before and Job could praise God from His whole heart.
Thank you Jeses, that you are with me when eveything is going wrong. I can hold fast to you are you will carry me through everything. With you I am secure, because you set the bounaies of evil. You always comfort and give courage. You intervene at the right time. Yes Lord, I will give you praise.