2017-09-23
Job 42:11 NCV
Satan’s attack can strengthen your faith. The Devil dared to question the stability of Job’s faith, so God gave him permission to test Job. “The Lord said to Satan, ‘All right then. Everything Job has is in your power, but you must not touch Job himself'” (Job 1:12 NCV). Notice, God set both the permission and the parameters of the struggle. Job passes the test and Satan complains that Job would have fallen had he been forced to face pain. Again God gives permission, and again He sets the parameters: “Job is in your power, but you may not take his life” (Job 2:6 NCV). Though the pain and the questions are abundant, in the end Job’s faith and health are greater than ever. Again, we may not understand the reason for the test, but we know its source. Read this verse from the last chapter of the book of Job. The family of Job “comforted him and made him feel better about the trouble the Lord had brought on him.” Satan has no power except that which God gives him. Even when Satan appears to win, he loses. Martin Luther was right on target when he described the Devil as God’s tool, a hoe He uses to care for His garden. The hoe never cuts what the Gardener intends to save, and never saves what the Gardener intends to weed. Surely a part of Satan’s punishment is the frustration he feels in unwillingly serving as a tool to create a garden for God. So be encouraged today: Satan’s attack will strengthen your faith, refine it, and take it to greater heights.
Soul food: Zech 12-14; Mark 14:43-52; Ps 54; Prov 25:1-3
2017-09-22
2 Korintiërs 12:7 NLV
Satan se aanval kan jou nader aan God bring. Dit was waar van Paulus se lewe. Dink aan Paulus se résumé: ‘n persoonlike ontmoeting met die opgestane Christus, ‘n deelnemer in hemelse visioene, ‘n apostel deur God gekies, ‘n skrywer van die Bybel. Hy het siekes gesond gemaak, die wêreld vol gereis en sommige van die wêreld se belangrikste dokumente geskryf. Min mense kan sy prestasies ewenaar. Miskien het hy dit geweet. God was egter te lief vir Paulus om toe te laat dat trots hom vernietig. ‘Daarom, sodat ek nie hoogmoedig moet word nie, is aan my ‘n doring in die vlees gegee, ‘n boodskapper van Satan om my te kasty.’ Ons word nie vertel wat hierdie doring is nie, maar die doel daarvan is duidelik – om Paulus nederig te hou. Ons word ook die oorsprong daarvan vertel – ‘n boodskapper van Satan. Hierdie boodskapper kon ‘n pyn, ‘n probleem, of ‘n persoon wat ‘n pyn was, wees. Ons weet nie. Ons weet egter dat die boodskapper onder God se beheer was. Let op wat Paulus volgende sê: ‘Drie maal het ek die Here gesmeek dat dit my moet verlaat. Hy het egter vir my gesê: ‘My genade is genoeg vir jou, want my krag kom juis in swakheid tot volle verwesenliking.’ Daarom sal ek baie liewer oor my swakhede spog sodat die krag van Christus voortdurend deur my kan werk. Ek is dus tevrede met my swakhede, beledigings, ontberings, vervolgings en benoudhede ter wille van Christus, want wanneer ek swak is, juis dán is ek sterk’ (verse 8-10 NLV). Hier is ‘n waarheid wat elke toets in ‘n potensiële oorwinning kan transformeer: Satan en sy magte is eenvoudig ‘n stuk gereedskap in God se hand, om jou te versterk.
Sielskos: Sag 9-11; Mark 14:27-42; Ps 52; Spr 24:32-34
2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV
Satan’s attack can drive you closer to God. That was true in Paul’s life. Think of Paul’s résumé: a personal audience with the resurrected Christ, a participant in heavenly visions, an apostle chosen by God, an author of the Bible. He healed the sick, travelled the world, and penned some of history’s greatest documents. Few could rival his achievements. And maybe he knew it. But God loved Paul too much to allow pride to destroy him. “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” We aren’t told the nature of the thorn, but we’re told its purpose – to keep Paul humble. We are also told its origin – a messenger of Satan. The messenger could have been a pain, a problem, or a person who was a pain. We don’t know. But we do know that the messenger was under God’s control. Note what Paul says next: “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (vv. 8-10 NIV). Here’s a truth that can transform every test into a potential triumph: Satan and his forces are simply a tool in the hand of God to strengthen you.
Soul food: Zech 9-11; Mark 14:27-42; Ps 52; Prov 24:32-34
2017-09-21
1 John 4:4 NCV
Satan is a fallen angel who wasn’t satisfied to worship God; he wanted to occupy His throne. Angels, like humans, were made to serve and worship God. And they were given free will; otherwise, how could they worship? But Satan said, “I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14 NIV). That got him evicted from heaven: “You are brought down to…the depths of the pit” (Isaiah 14:15 NIV). And Satan hasn’t changed. He’s as self-centred now as he was then, and he’s just as limited now as he was then. Even when his heart was good, he was inferior to God. God knows everything; angels only know what He reveals. God is everywhere; angels can only be in one place. God is all-powerful; angels are only as powerful as God allows them to be. So Satan is still subservient to God. And every time he tries to advance his cause, he ends up advancing God’s cause. In The Serpent of Paradise, pastor and author Erwin Lutzer writes: “Satan has different roles to play, depending on God’s counsel and purposes…We must bear in mind that he does have frightful powers, but knowing that those can only be exercised under God’s discretion and pleasure, gives us hope. Satan is simply not free to wreak havoc on people at will.” Satan doesn’t want you to know that; he’d rather you be deceived into thinking of him as an independent force with unlimited power. But he’s not. And he’d rather you’d never read these words: “God’s Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil.”
Soul food: Num 29:1-6; Mat 24; Rev 11:15-19; 1 Cor 15:50-58
1 Johannes 4:4 NLV
Satan is ‘n gevalle engel wat nie tevrede daarmee was om God te prys nie, hy wou op sy troon sit. Engele, soos mense, is gemaak om God te dien en te prys. Hulle is ‘n vrye wil gegee; andersins; hoe sou hulle God kon eer en prys? Satan het egter gesê, ‘Ek klim op tot die hoogste hemele. Soos die Allerhoogste sal ek word’ (Jesaja 14:14 NLV). Hy is toe uit die hemel geskop: ‘Maar in plaas daarvan sal jy in die doderyk beland, in sy diepste dele’ (Jesaja 14:15 NLV). Satan het nie verander nie. Hy is nog steeds so selfgesentreerd en so beperk soos wat hy toe was. Selfs toe sy hart goed was, was hy aan God minderwaardig. God weet alles; engele weet net dit wat Hy openbaar. God is orals; engele kan net op een plek wees. God is almagtig; engele is net so magtig soos wat God hulle toelaat om te wees. Dus is Satan steeds onderdanig aan God. Elke keer wat hy sy saak probeer bevoordeel, bevoordeel hy God se saak. Pastoor Erwin Lutzer skryf in sy boek, The Serpent of Paradise: ‘Satan het verskillende rolle om te vertolk, wat van God se planne en doelwitte afhang. Ons moet in gedagte hou dat hy verskriklike magte het, maar wanneer ons weet dat daardie magte net onder God se diskresie uitgevoer kan word, kan ons hoop hê.’ Satan wil nie hê dat jy dit moet weet nie; hy sal jou eerder mislei om te dink dat hy ‘n onafhanklike krag met onbeperkte mag is. Hy is nie. Hy sal verkies dat jy nooit die volgende woorde lees nie: ‘…julle het hulle reeds oorwin omdat die Gees wat in julle woon, magtiger is as die gees wat in die wêreld woon.’
Sielskos: Num 29:1-6; Matt 24; Op 11:15-19; 1 Kor 15:50-58
