A conversation was overheard between God and Satan where your name came up. Satan said he’d been traveling about the earth doing exactly what he wanted to do. And then it happened, God mentioned your name as a possible candidate for Satan to utterly destroy to prove a point. What??? Does that sound anything like the God we want to believe in? I’m not sure about a god that doesn’t have MY best interest at heart! I’m not sure I believe in a god that doesn’t believe my comfort should be His first priority!
Sounds silly to describe faith as being that self-centered but listen to the conversations and prayers of people and you’ll find a pattern of personal comfort as a theme. Jesus did not come to give us comfort but life everlasting and full of His glory. Was the cross glorious to Jesus? Only if you look at it in light of its benefit to all mankind. What if our suffering worked for the good of others so that they may receive life? What if through our discomfort we discover peace of the heart even though there is turmoil all around us? Would it be worth the peace to have to go through the pain?
In all of Satan’s attacks on Job he continually worshiped God. When Satan took away everything Job had he proclaimed that he brought nothing into the world and he would take nothing out. When sores appeared all over his body he continued to worship and in the end God doubled his possessions. So, what would Job do? He would worship God no matter his circumstances because our circumstances are not a testimony of God’s love, the cross is. Please don’t judge God by your current circumstances and don’t indict Him for what has happened to you. Even though our troubles are filtered through the hand of God thank God He doesn’t tempt us above that we can’t stand. It is only meant to cause us to worship Him.
So, if God chose you today for Satan to sift what would be left? A bitter judgmental spirit toward the one who sacrificed His Son or a surrendered heart that is experiencing the peace of God? Ultimately, what would you do if God allowed Satan to sift you? Surrender.
