Don’t Forget What Satan Knows ​​

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.”

We can sometimes forget the most obvious blessings. Because of the familiarity of God’s blessings, we often take them for granted when we should treat them as new every morning. When Satan responded to God’s challenge about Job’s spirituality, he pointed out three blessings that are often overlooked by many Christians.

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Changing Your Nation

Esther 4:16
“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

The Jews found themselves in a serious situation. The ruler of their day was a wicked man. The laws of their land had turned against them. The politicians of their day already decided what needed to be done. Their lives were literally at stake because a law had been enacted that on a certain day every Jew in Ahasuerus’ kingdom should be killed.

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Avoiding a Life of Misery and Disgrace

Nehemiah 1:3
“And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.”

When Hanani came to visit Nehemiah in Shushan, he heard of the condition of the remnant left in Jerusalem. The one thing that broke the heart of Nehemiah was to hear that the walls were “broken down,” and that the gates were “burned with fire.” He understood the importance of the walls and the gates. He understood the walls kept them safe from the enemies attack from the outside, but that the gates kept them from unwanted influences that could destroy them from the inside.

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The First Year

Ezra 1:1
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,”

The first year is one of the most important years because it establishes your pattern for years to come. The first year of a marriage sets the habits for the remainder of the marriage. A child’s first year is instrumental in building their character and habits for the rest of their life. A leader’s first year often dictates the degree of success and influence that leader will experience.

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Overstepping Boundaries

2 Chronicles 26:18
“And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.”

Uzziah had experienced tremendous success in his reign as king. God had helped him to defeat armies, build towers, dig wells and build a great army. These accomplishments are great by any standard. However, these accomplishments led to pride in Uzziah’s heart. He became so filled with pride that he overstepped his boundaries by burning incense on the altar of incense. Offering incense was the duty of the priests. He had no business doing something that God had specifically ordained for the priests to perform. It didn't matter what his position was, he clearly overstepped his boundaries which led to God striking him with leprosy.

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Recovering from a Spin

2 Chronicles 20:12
“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”

When I was training to get my pilot’s license, the instructor constantly taught us in the ground school how to recover from a spin. He said that you only had a few hundred feet to recover, so responding correctly was a life or death situation in most cases. We were taught when the plane went into a spin to let go of the yoke, push the opposite rudder pedal of the direction of the spin, push in full throttle, and then pull up. I honestly thought I would never need that advice.

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Discerning Wise Counsel

2 Chronicles 10:6
“And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?”

If one decision can destroy your entire life, the advice you receive to guide you with your decisions is vitally important. Rehoboam found himself in the same situation in which many people find themselves. He received two different types of advice, and discerning which one was right wasn't easy. Sadly, Rehoboam chose the wrong counsel which destroyed his kingdom. The counsel wasn't right or wrong because of the age of the counselors, but it was right and wrong because of the type of counsel. This story shows five principles that will help you to discern between wise and foolish counsel.

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It’s Not the End

Hosea 14:1
“O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.”

God said about Israel, “…for thou has fallen by thine iniquity.” Who could this not be said about? There are many people who at one time fell because of sin. I think oftentimes we only think about those whose sin has caused them to lose position as fallen, but scripturally anyone who has sinned has fallen. What I love about the terminology that God uses in the verse above is that it didn't mean the end. There are three things fallen doesn't mean.

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Avoiding the Return

Hosea 5:15
“I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.”

A sad commentary about Israel is found in this chapter. Israel’s pride led them astray and to sin against God. Because of their sin, God pronounced judgment against Israel. He said that one day they would be “oppressed and broken in judgment.” He said that one day Ephraim would be “desolate in the day of rebuke.” God’s judgment would eventually cause Israel to wake up and “acknowledge their offence.” God said, “…in their affliction they will seek me early.”

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World-Changing Actions

Daniel 3:28
“Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.”

One of the most intriguing events in the Scriptures is when the three Hebrew children stood for what they believed, were thrown into the fiery furnace, and delivered by the mighty hand of God. Their actions changed the heart of a heathen king, and their actions changed the mindset of this nation towards their God. Their actions were not the easiest actions to take, but their actions are what changed their world.

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