Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Haven't you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face." Job 1:9–11 WEB.

Job was a righteous man who feared God. Because of that, God built a hedge of protection around Job and all that he owned (Job 1:10). God also blessed the work of his hands. There were many times when satan wanted to test Job, to sift him as wheat like Peter (Luke 22:31). Yet, he could not get to him because of this divine hedge that God had placed around him.

It's that hedge I want to talk about. In a sense, God was proud of Job (Job 1:8) and knew he could pass the test. God even told satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is none like him in the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil." To which satan sneered, "Yeah, but take away his stuff, and he will curse you to your face." So God basically said, "Test him, and you will see that he will not." Then, He removed the hedge from Job for a season of testing.

When the hedge was gone, satan went after Job and his family in full force, but that wasn't enough to break Job's spirit. So satan came back wanting even more access to be able to afflict Job's physical body. "Skin for skin, all that a man has will he give for his life" (Job 2:4) were the words satan used. Again, God gave him access through the hedge. The test was to see if satan could make Job curse God, and things got really bad for Job. In the end, Job passed this test as well, and God restored everything that Job had lost, double (Job 42:12).

Jesus told Peter: "satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat" (Luke 22:31). He had to ask God for permission to sift Peter. If I was Peter, I would have asked: "Well, what did You tell him???"

That said, not everything we suffer in life is a test. Some things we bring on ourselves by making bad choices. If we max out a credit card on frivolous shopping, it's not God's fault when the bill comes due. Paul wrote, "Don't be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). Solomon wrote that whoever breaks a hedge may be bitten by a snake (Ecclesiastes 10:8).

God puts a hedge around each of His children, and His commandments are for our protection. Yet, just as a parent can warn a child not to touch a hot stove, it's up to the child to obey. Why did God tell us to not commit adultery? Because we can choose to commit adultery and suffer the consequences and meltdown that follows. We are not mindless robots. We get to decide our path in this. When we choose bad things, our hedge is broken.

Stay the course and keep a positive attitude about what you are going through. When you fall, be quick to get back up, and don't wallow there. Yeah, though it seems like hell on earth, it's only temporary. So, resist the temptation to get angry at God. Learn to be content in your circumstance like Paul (Philippians 4:11). The enemy will have to restore double of everything he took from you when this is over.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that You repair the hedge around my life. I am sorry if I have broken it, and I ask that You forgive me for anything I have done wrong. Please wash me, Lord, and I will be clean. Guide me, and I will follow. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.