“Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;” (Job 29:2).
We all know Job’s situation. God allowed Job to be tormented by the devil when the devil taunted that the only reason Job was faithful was because God was good to him. He lost everything he had including his children and his reputation. His friends who came to comfort him, accused him of lying and were certain that his troubles came as a result of sin. But Job kept insisting that he’d been faithful and obedient in all things. He lamented his situation and cursed the day he was born, but he never cursed God. He felt abandoned by God in this verse and yearns for the time before when God watched, guarded and protected him.
The devil asked God, “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.” (Job 1:10)
This is how the devil speaks. He flings false accusations against us. And he hasn’t changed and continues even now to accuse the brethren. “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” (Revelation 12:10) Just as he accused Job before God, he accuses us continually before God. He accuses us of being faithful only because of the goodness of God in our lives. And he accuses us of being treacherous when we fail.
The devil would love nothing more than to bring us destruction much like he did Job. But when he accuses us, Jesus is there to intercede for us. “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.” (Hebrews 7:25) Paul wrote to the Romans, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:31-34) Like Job was, we are blessed, guarded and protected. And more than that, we are justified before God. We have an Advocate. Jesus is our advocate Who supports us, Who upholds our righteousness, Who has our back and Who champions in favor of us, going against the accuser. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (1John 2:1)
So, when the devil tries to bring destruction, when he tells us we’re not worthy of God’s goodness, when he rails against us in our minds telling us we will fail miserably, when he lies and tells us we are deceived, we can cry out, “Jesus is my Savior. Jesus is my Redeemer. Jesus is my Justifier. Jesus is my righteousness. Jesus is my Lord. And He’s given me the Holy Spirit Who lives in me. I am a child of God. And I am sealed forever His.” We can rest in the Truth and rest in peace.
Comments