One day the angels came to present themselves before the
Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you
come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going
back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my
servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a
man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan
replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything
he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds
are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike
everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to
Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man
himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the
Lord. Job 1:6-12
This classic passage of the Bible talks about how Satan had been wandering around looking for folks to bother. God, in His Supreme Boldness, offered Job for testing. Satan countered that God had a hedge of protection around him but God offered to remove the hedge and allow Satan to destroy everything but Job's life, resting assured that Job would not curse Him.
I'm at an interesting point in my life where it isn't Satan who has "destroyed" everything, but actually the result of my own choices. I won't blame Satan, who already gets too much credit for some of the mess in our lives, but it was me. And whether or not God has a hedge of protection around me or not doesn't matter.
No matter what happens, no matter how many of my chickens come home to roost, no matter how many things, people or opportunities I lose, I REFUSE TO CURSE MY GOD. '
I think God honors our confessions:
"Lord, I messed up and I am prepared to deal with the outcome."
"Father, if you can't stay away this bitter cup, please strengthen me to deal with it."
"God, you are my portion and I will wait on you."
I may have fallen 20 steps back, but God was waiting for me at the 20th step, to put me back on course and push me forward into my destiny - despite my mistakes.
"...if I make my bed in hell, you are there." Psalm 139:8
All I know to do is trust my God. All I can do is believe in Him and His purpose for my life (in spite of myself). All I must do is continue to praise and worship through the storms. I can never give up and I can never give in, no matter what it looks like or feels like. I will live and not die.
And soon it will be "now the Lord blessed the latter days of Mona more than her beginning..."
In love,
Mona
