The Ballestero Blog

Surviving Your Nightmare

Sometimes life doesn’t seem fair. Worse than that, events happen that knock your feet out from under you. The pain is like a nightmare that won’t stop. Thank God we have the Holy Ghost, a church, a pastor, a Bible, family and friends to help us through. Job didn’t.

What happened in the book of Job is hard for human minds to fathom. The book starts out with a special meeting. The sons of God came before the Lord. Satan came also.

The Lord asked Satan where he’d been and what he’d been doing, then the next question He asked was, “What do you think about my servant Job?

Unbeknown to Job, he was God’s favorite person in the whole world. Being God’s favorite has the greatest of benefits. God loved him so much He put a hedge around him.

Satan was sure that Job only served God for the financial blessings. God gave Satan permission to find out for sure.

Satan’s First Day Of Trying To Destroy Job.

Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

Job 1:7 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.

Job 1:8 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?

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

Job 1:10 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 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Satan took Job’s most prized possessions in one day.

• His Beloved Children
• His Herds
• His Wealth
• All Gone in One Day

Satan’s Second Day Of Trying To Destroy Job.

Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

Job 2:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Job 2:3 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? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

Job 2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Job 2:6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

 Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

Job 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

Satan Attacked Job physically. He couldn’t make him curse God by destroying his possessions and his family. He was still reeling from the loss of his children and his financial empire. But Satan wasn’t done. His second attack on Job was physically and emotionally. Physically with the boils, and emotionally with critical ‘friends.’

• Boils
• Critical And Fault Finding Friends

By this time, Job is feeling pain in every part of his body and soul. His own wife pushes him to reject God. She has had it with living for God. Job was not a weak man and would not budge.

He kept trusting God and said, Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”

 Job vowed to maintain his ways. He promised God he would keep on doing what he’s always been doing… serving the Lord.

In the end, God blessed Job with double what he had before, yes and double the number of children too.

There may be days in your walk with God that you feel what you are going through is an attack from Satan. You may be very well right.

I can only imagine how devastating it is to feel the cold icy hands of Satan trying to destroy you in your labor for the Lord. I am sure it is very easy to focus on the pain he has inflicted upon your life. Pain comes in many forms, such as the loss of finances, the loss of health, the loss of friendships, and the loss of life. It is a very personal nightmare to watch him tear down everything you have built.

On top of all the pain that Satan brings, he will talk trash to your mind as well. He will tell you that you are, “Out of the will of God. God hates you. You have sinned in the past and this is God’s judgment upon you. You are not qualified to be in the work of the Lord. Get out now.”

He will push you to resign whatever office or position you have in the Kingdom of God. He will tell you to withdraw and lick your wounds. He will tell you that you are not loved or appreciated either.

Satan plays dirty. He is not a gentleman. He will kick you when you are down. He did it to Job, and Job didn’t even have the Holy Ghost.

I am not sure that Job even knew he was God’s favorite man in the whole world. I don’t think that he even knew God had his picture hanging on heaven’s wall. Job didn’t know he was heaven most prized earthly possession. All Job knew about was the pain. He hurt so bad, that pain was all he could see.

To those of us today who feel the harshness of Satan’s handiwork in our lives, I wish to remind you of these things:

1. Don’t believe Satan’s Lies.
2. God does not hate you. In fact He loves you dearly.
3. If pain and problems mean you are out of the will of God, then the Apostle Paul never was in the will of God.
4. Job was God’s favorite and he still went through this and God brought him out victorious.
5. God’s loves you. You enjoy a better relationship with Him than just being on in His list of Favorites, You are His Child.
6. He will bring you out victorious, just like He did Job.
7. God knows what you are going through. He has not forgotten where you are.
8. He will bring you out
9. He will give you back all that the enemy has taken from you… and more!

You Are God’s Favorite Child, In Spite Of What Satan Does.

God Has A Hedge Built All Around You.

It’s God Who Is In Control Of Your Situation.

Be Faithful Like Job, And He Will Bring You Through Your Nightmare.

You Will Survive, In Jesus Name!