Imagine you are in the stands of the coveted Battle Royale Championship football game. On one side of the stadium sit the Dorado Dodgers. Across the field are the Calisota Avenger fans.
The score is tied, there’s 10 seconds left on the clock, and the Avengers have the football at the 40 yard line. At the snap, the quarterback drops back, finds his receiver and throws a perfect pass. The receiver makes the catch and runs it in for the winning touchdown.
The clamor in the stadium is beyond 90 decibels! It was so loud they did not hear the referee’s whistle. But the replay clearly showed the ref throwing a flag on the play. The call – offsides against the Avengers. Game went into overtime. They kicked off to the Dodgers but before the quarterback could release the football, he was sacked. It was like being sacked by Satan.
However, the very next play, the Dodgers did make a touchdown and won the Battle Royale Championship.
The Bible records a time when a man named Job was sacked by Satan. Job was a wealthy man who lived in the land of Uz. He had several children, much livestock, and many servants. Job was also a righteous man.
Satan hated this detestable godly man but since Satan is no match against God’s power, he tries to destroy what God loves.
Satan challenged God saying that Job only feared Him because Job had been blessed by Him, but if he lost everything, “He will surely curse you to Your face!” (Job 1:11)
God allowed Satan to take all of Job’s prosperity, his sons and daughters, his livestock and his servants, but God drew a boundary around Job that Satan could not kill him.
Job asked God, “Why?” He could not think of anything he had done that was deserving of the deep anguish he felt.
Maybe you are in a place where you feel like you have been sacked by Satan and abandoned by the Lord, and you ask, “Why, Lord?” Be mindful that it is not wrong for a person to ask why? Job did repeatedly which was every time he was sacked by Satan until he had nothing left but his miserable life. The question of why, however, must not grow into accusations against the sovereign and holy God.
God did not leave Job in the ashes, nor will He leave you in your dire situation. God restored Job and gave him double of everything he had lost. He will restore your life in one way or another as well.
It is difficult to watch anyone suffer – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, righteous or unrighteous, but because we live in a world corrupted by sin, this is humanity’s lot.
But God, being rich in mercy, compassion, and love sent His only begotten Son to our world that groans to be delivered, to pay the penalty for all sin of all people of all time. (John 3:16) However, not everyone is saved because they reject their only means of salvation – Jesus, the promised Savior. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31)
We all are sacked by Satan throughout our lives, but he is no match against God who is sovereign, all-powerful, and reigns supreme over the entire universe. We don’t always understand why God allows us to be buffeted, but His purpose is always with a purpose, and His goodness is for our good even though it is painful most times. But He will not leave us in the ashes. May He grant each of us endurance through whatever suffering we are in.