I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep. But the hired servant (he who merely serves for wages) who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away. And the wolf chases and snatches them and scatters [the flock]. Now the hireling flees because he merely serves for wages and is not himself concerned about the sheep [cares nothing for them]. I am the Good Shepherd; and I know and recognize My own, and My own know and recognize Me— Even as [truly as] the Father knows Me and I also know the Father--and I am giving My [very own] life and laying it down on behalf of the sheep. John 10:11-15
How many of you were attacked by satan this week? I hear this question posed by preachers to their congregations all of the time. Let me tell you the Truth, and this Truth will set you free: if you were attacked by satan this week, it is only because the Good Shepherd, our Lord and Savior, allowed him to be anywhere near you. And if Jesus did let satan near you, he was only permitted to do what our Father instructed him to do. Satan does not have free will to just come and get us. If he did have free reign to harm us, then our Shepherd, Jesus, would be one lousy shepherd for letting satan ever get within a hundred miles of us.
The Truth is that satan is a tool of our Father and he is used to strengthen us, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. Yep, you heard me right. Satan is a tool of our Father. Satan is evil and he is opposed to our Father. Satan is a murderer and a thief and he was that way from the very moment that our Father created him, John 8:44. Even though all of that is true, it does not change the fact that satan is used by our Father to strengthen us.
Satan does not have free reign to do what he will’s, read the Book of Job and you will see this. Our Father told satan what he could and could not do to Job, Job 1:12. Satan desired to sift the disciples and our Father said no, Luke 22:31. The whole Book of Revelation reveals to us that the orders of the Great Tribulation always come first from the Throne of our Father. Our Father tells the demons and the attackers in Revelation when to act, who to act on, and what they are able to do and not do, Revelation 6:6, 7:3, and 9:19.
So if you were attacked by satan this week, rejoice. Because our Father allowed him to attack you, so that the Holy Spirit would become stronger in you. Our Father never allows satan to harm us beyond that which we are anointed to take, 1 Corinthians 10:13. Our Father controls everything, including satan, and there is no fear in the perfect love of our Father.
No comments:
Post a Comment