Satan at Work?

Many in our church are going through hardships right now. Some financial, some job-related, some health-related, and others are dealing with the death of close family members. Yesterday two wonderful friends at church lost loved ones. Stacy lost her grandfather and Linda lost her father.

These are the times that we as Christians have two paths in front of us. One is the path that Satan lays with traps and snares. Grumbling, moaning, self pity and pulling away from God and His word are some of the traps that Satan loves to see us fall into. Also those not going through the trials can fall into the same trap that Job's friends fell into.

Eliphaz says to Job in Job 22:21-23:

"Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents."

As we know, God was allowing Satan to test Job, he lost his family, lands and friends but his relationship with God remained steadfast.

I have often heard Christians who have not gone through a deep trials critize those who are going through them. God often puts us through the fire to strenghten us, while others have few trials because they are not being used of God. Satan may not be attacking because we are no threat to him.

The other path is to take these trials and use them to bring us to closer fellowship with Him. These are the times that I seem to grow and learn the most. One blog I have visited often is written by a woman who thanks God that her husband was sent to prison. Not because she hates him but because their marriage was at an end and it took this trial to make them work on their relationship with each other and with God. It also gives us the opportuniy to help others, weather with physical help (providing food or money) or emotional help (our experiences from our own trials.)

So why are so many in our church going through these trials? I firmly believe that Satan is hurling everything he can at us because he is seeing growth and the building of strong bonds in the congregation. This scares him. The ladies Bible study that meets every other Tuesday is growing. The men have started a Bible study once a month. Many men meet to pray on Wednesday morning. As we grow in Him and help meet each others needs we are a testimony in our community. I am thankful for a church that loves and serves each other at this time.

Our people—hard at fellowship