Job 1:16-18, “While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. ... While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. ... While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”
The Bible records the devastating
events of Job's life. First a messenger rushed to tell Job that his 500
female donkeys and 1,000 oxen (500 yokes) were stolen and the servants who
tended the animals murdered by the Sabeans. Then the Bible says that “WHILE
HE WAS YET SPEAKING,” another messenger ran in frantically to inform Job
that his 7,000 sheep and their shepherds were killed by fire fallen from
heaven. Then in Job 1:17 incredibly and unbelievably the Bible says again
that “WHILE HE WAS YET SPEAKING,” there came also another messenger to
inform Job that the Chaldeans robbed him of 3,000 camels and murdered all
the servants who cared for the animals.
As devastating as these consecutive bad reports were to Job, unbelievably the Bible says in Job 1:18 that “WHILE HE WAS YET SPEAKING” there came still another messenger to inform Job that a tornado killed all his children in his eldest son's home!
Can you imagine hearing one devastating bad report after another? It would be like someone telling you that your car was stolen, and while he was still speaking someone else comes to tell you that your wife just filed for divorce, and then while that person is still talking someone else says that a phone call just arrived saying your house burned down, and then before that person even finishes talking a police officer arrives to inform you that your children all died in a car crash an hour ago, and then you find out before he even finishes that you just lost your job. The Bible says... “WHILE HE WAS YET SPEAKING”!!! Poor job! It was one repeated horrifying message after another. In today's terms we would use the popular cliché, “When it rains it pours!” It sure poured upon Job that day!
Satan would steal, kill and destroy our life in a single day if God gave him the chance. The Devil hates each and every Christian with a passion. Satan would destroy us immediately, within a single hour if he could. Thank God for His indwelling Spirit which lives in the body of every Christian believer...
1st John 4:4-5, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.”
Jesus' Holy Spirit lives in our earthly body (Romans 8:9). The Bible teaches that God protects every believer, who fears Him, from satanic attack. Psalms 34:7, “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” This does not mean that we are invincible or that bad things still cannot happen to us; but it does mean that nothing can happen to us outside of God's PERMISSIVE WILL. God places a HEDGE between Satan and every Christian, which keeps Satan out. The thief is kept out, and our generous and merciful Lord has promised never to leave us. That's awesome—Jesus won't ever leave us, and has made a hedge so that the Devil is not allowed to harm us without God's permission...
Job 1:7-11, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”
In Proverbs 3:5-7 God promises to guide and direct our paths if we'll simple acknowledging Him in ALL OUR WAYS. By “acknowledge” God means to seek His opinion in every matter of life. God wants to guide us, for He ever liveth in Heaven to MAKE INTERCESSION for us. Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” I'll explain this further next.
Jesus Became Human
So He Could Faithfully Succour (Help) Our Difficulties And Temptations
That's a GOOD Savior!!! Let me share with you some of the most precious Scriptures in the Bible. This passage is rarely preached about and you've likely never discovered this wonderful truth about the Lord...
Hebrews 2:14-18, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”
This is so precious. The Bible says that it was necessary in every way for Jesus to become a human being so that He could be a faithful High Priest that is able to “SUCCOUR” (assist in time of difficulty; help in a difficult situation). Hollywood actors routinely go through extensive research to prepare for the character role that they're going to play in a movie, to help capture the feelings, thoughts and realisms of the person or profession they are trying to portray on film. How much more then does our wonderful Savior desire to relate to our infirmities, temptations, sufferings, sorrows, humanity, heartaches and burdens throughout our life!!!
The only way that Christ could accomplish this was to be born into this world as a human man, experiencing life's joys and sorrows, pains, mockings, scourgings, beatings and hardships in every way. Hebrews 2:18 teaches that Christ can SUCCOUR (help us in times of trouble and hardship) because He has been there Himself, literally. We find this precious truth reiterated in Hebrews 4:15-16...
Hebrews 4:13-16, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Isn't God a good and great God to watch over us! Perhaps the most shocking Scriptures of all are Job 1:20-22 which tell us that after all those horrible things Job learned, he fell to the ground in prayer and worshipped God. Everything that God does is right...
Job 1:20-22, “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
Job never placed God on trial in his human mind. Job didn't demand answers... WHY GOD??? That's the most dangerous question you'll ever ask God... WHY? It's best to just LET GO, LET GOD!
Isaiah 53:3-4, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
HAVE FAITH IN GOD!!!
Thank God for His undeserving mercy that watches over them that fear Him 24/7, continually, all year long, year-after-year, preventing the Devil from taking away everything that we hold near and dear. But to those of you, like me, whom God has allowed Satan to take nearly everything away to test us—“WHILE HE WAS YET SPEAKING”—Let us fall to the ground in prayer and worship our good God, for He is worthy. We worship God for Who He is. We praise God for what He does. We thank God “IN” everything, good or bad. Notice that 1st Thessalonians 5:21 teaches to thank God “in” everything, not necessarily “for” everything. 1st Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
You don't have to thank God when you accidentally hit your thumb with a hammer, but you can thank God for tools, health, time and the opportunity to do something constructive. We should always thank God for our daily provisions, that our name is written in Heaven and for God's love and goodness every day. There are 86,400 seconds in each day, have we thanked God with just one of them? Job's life fell apart and was totally devastated in just ONE HOUR. It can happen to anyone, and does everyday somewhere in this painful world of disease, disaster, death and dread.
God was testing Job, allowing Satan to antagonize Job to see if he would curse God in anger and show that he only lived right because things were going his way. Are there many Christians today like job? I think not. Oh sure, there's plenty of people who lose everything like Job. But how many Christians can lose everything and refrain from cursing God or putting Him on trial? Not many! You can always tell a man's character by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him. Many people treat God good only because they are prospering, happily married, completely healthy, have loving pets, have healthy children and a stable career with money safe in the bank.
But when God allows the Devil to suddenly rip all that away from you, and a hundred other evil things that are inexplicably painful and impossible to relate to others in writing, then my friend you are in Job's circumstances. No one would have blamed Job if he had commit suicide, but he didn't. Job trusted in the Lord. In Job's shoes, would we curse God? Or will we say with a heart of gratitude and faith... “EVERYTHING THAT GOD DOES IS RIGHT!”
I choose to fall to the ground in humility and prayer, humbling myself before my omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient God, worshipping His holy name. Blessed by the name of the Lord and “EVERYTHING THAT GOD DOES IS RIGHT!”
1,628 Life-Changing MP3 Sermons By Pastor Jack Hyles—Greatest Preacher Of 20th Century!
