When Satan Overplays His Hand

While I was going over the past the other day, thinking of the crazy situations I lived through and it dawned on me through them all Satan certainly meant to cause me harm.

When we go through trials it often feel like Satan has the upper hand. We struggle to see what good could come out of suffering, but after a while, we gain a new perspective that what Satan has intended for harm has instead been flipped on its head and turned into good.

In Genesis 50:20, Joseph didn’t Satan when he told his brothers,

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

But, it’s not hard to imagine Satan working for Joseph and his family’s destruction every step of the way. Joseph kept his attention not on what Satan was attempting but on what God was doing.

I used to work at a faith-based drug recovery center. They had a thrift store in which the proceeds would go to help addicts seek rehabilitation for free. I talked to a few people who said using drugs or alcohol filled the void in their hearts. But seeking recovery and focusing on God changed their lives. Satan overplayed his hand in a few situations.

He overplayed his hand a lot, most notably, when his involvement in Jesus’s crucifixion. God’s love an faithfulness was evident through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.

Satan may have won a few fights, but he will not win the war. In certain situations or temptations might seem like a victory for satan, the ultimate fight against evil is still ongoing but despite setbacks a larger war against evil is winnable through faith and commitment to God.

1 Peter 5:8-9 warns us,

“Be don’t and self-contained. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour. Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers (sisters) in the world are undergoing the same suffering.”

God gives us the grace to be called to his eternal glory, while we may suffer a little while, perfect, established, and strengthened to settle on us.

Peter was talking about persecution, but the general assumption is that suffering is common to us all. Suffering and illness are a special type of suffering that Satan uses to discourage us even to the point of hopelessness. Hence, being devoured by our enemy.

However, we can render him a toothless lion by recalling when God has gotten us through and comforted us.

There are three things to remember when satan is attempting to devour us.

  1. God has already won the war. Satan cannot defeat any who stand with God.
  2. The battle is not only a physical one. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
  3. Remember the result when Satan overplayed his hand. Our victory over satan is assured by our resurrected bodies when Jesus returns.

Suffering satan’s painful arrows proves unequal to the task of spoiling our faith, and our hope grows stronger as we discover that he cannot win.

A Revelation Of What’s Coming

The Holy Bible is a book of Revelation or an unveiling of future events, often interpreted as the “end times or last days,” detailing a period of tribulation, judgement, and ultimately, God’s restoration of all things.

It teaches us how to live a righteous life in His eyes. We are witnessing some things on earth that surprise us or gives us a sense of dread. The amazing thing is that it lines up perfectly with the Bible.

The end times or last days is the concept in scriptures like Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation it speaks of a specific period of time before the 2nd coming of Jesus, characterized by various signs and events.

Jesus foretold that before His return, there would be “wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes and pestilences (sicknesses).

The Bible describes a period of intense suffering and trials, often referred to as the “great tribulation,” preceding the return of Jesus.

The Bible predicts that Jesus will return to earth, and this event is a central theme in the book of Revelation and other prophetic scriptures.

The Bible speaks of a final judgment where God will separate the righteous from the unrighteous or the good from the evil, followed by a new heaven and a new earth where God will once again dwell with His people.

The Bible warns of a “false Christ or antichrist” who will deceive many before the return of Jesus. Some theologians say he will come from the Middle East.

There are Specific scriptures and interpretations in the book of Revelation that are particular sources of prophetic material, detailing events leading up to the end of three age, the return of Jesus, and the establishment of God’s Kingdom.

In Matthew 24 Jesus gives a detailed discourse on the destruction of the temple and the signs that will precede His return, including wars, famines, earthquakes, and persecution.

The Book of Daniel contains prophecies about the rise and fall of empires, and the coming of the Messiah, and the end times.

The Bible contains many other prophecies and warnings about the future, found in the Old and New Testaments.

The Bible has a lot of symbolism and metaphors. It’s a prophetic language that often uses language and imagery that require careful interpretation.

Context is key. Understanding the historical and cultural context of prophetic passages is crucial, for accurate interpretation.

It’s important to avoid creating rigid timelines or dates for the end times, the Bible emphasizes that the timing of these events is only known by God.

The primary purpose of prophetic revelation is to reveal God’s character, His plan for salvation, and Hid ultimate victory over evil.

It’s no surprise we are living in chaos today. God shows us all of this in His Bible through the Pages -His revelation on what’s happening.

Tattoos

What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?

I have a tattoo already on the calf of my leg of a panther. While It doesn’t bother me, I wish I had never had my body inked.

I got it as a dare when I was young. When some people see you tattooed they automatically judge what type of person you are.

Describing Myself

What is one word that describes you?

One word I would use to describe myself is compassionate. I have a deep understanding and willingness to help those in need. I hate to see people hurt, probably because of the hurt I’ve experienced in life. And I don’t want any other people to feel the pain I have had to deal with.

Never Make A Deal With The Devil

Do not make a bargain or compromise with someone or something that is considered evil or dangerous. The potential consequences can ultimately be detrimental. Even when it seems like a quick solution to a problem. It may be tempting but could lead to disastrous in the long run.

The devil (Satan) represents a malicious force that will always try to trick us into giving up something valuable (like your soul) in exchange for temporary benefits.

There’s a classic German tale called “The Legend of Faust. It centers on a man who makes a pact with the devil, exchanging his soul for knowledge and power. The legend is loosely based on the life of Johann Georg Faust between the years 1480-1540. He was a German alchemist and practitioner of necromancy which was a form of black magic.

The core of the legend is Faust’s deal with the devil represented by Mephisto, a demon. Faust is dissatisfied with his life and yearns for knowledge and power, agreeing to surrender his soul in exchange for his desires. The consequences of his pact are ultimately tragic. He is driven by ambition and a thirst for knowledge, leading to a life of both great achievements and devastating consequences.

The term “Faustian” has come to imply sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, and material gain.

The moral of the story is it’s not worth making unethical choices or sacrificing integrity for short-term goals.

Compliments

What was the best compliment you’ve received?

I have been told I am a strong woman. I am strong because I had to be. Self-sufficient, and making my own decisions without relying on others.

There was just simply no other choice. There are certain circumstances where strength becomes a necessity, a default state rather than a conscious decision.

Sometimes people are forced to be strong, not because they choose to be, but because the situation demands it.

“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice” -Bob Marley

The Mysterious God

God does not come to us in nicely defined explained thought categories. God does not fit Himself into our theological textbooks. God breaks our rules. He is near, yet transcendent, clothed in human form, yet holy, and more terrifying than can be imagined, yet compassionate, and invisible, yet revealed, judging yet merciful, and sovereign, yet humble. No matter where you look God breaks the molds. Skip Moen said that in a book I’m reading for a Bible study.

Not matter who we are, or where we come from, every one of us have an idea about God. Whether you don’t believe God insists or He created the world and not just sits back and watches it not interested. Or even think He is a she or an it. Maybe that God is just an ultimate 911 service, only to be called in an emergency, or a cosmic police officer, waiting and watching to catch you breaking laws. We are sometimes engrained with these images of God early in our lives by our parents, our cultures, and even the church.

The issue is that none of these images can adequately capture who God is. The Bible reinforces this over and over. Our descriptions of God cannot even begin to capture His majesty, glory, and infiniteness. He is holy, awesome, vast, and eternal. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Our limited minds and finite lives simply cannot fathom the depth and extent of God.

It is only God who reveals Himself to us that we can even begin to get an accurate picture of who He really is. And this revelation comes to us in three ways: through creation, through Jesus, and through the Bible.

All we know about God comes from His revelation about Himself. We only know Him as He discloses Himself to us. Because of this, we must keep two things constantly in our view. We can know God and have confidence about what He is like, but at the same time, we will never be able to understand Him completely. We know enough about God to love, revere, and worship Him, but most of God will remain mysterious because it’s beyond our comprehension.

C.H. Surgeon puts it this way,

“There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity, so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity.”

We will never be able to fully grasp all of who He is.

Vacation Time

You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

Every year my husband and I always go somewhere to celebrate our anniversary. This year makes 36 years of marriage.

I’m excited this year because both my children will be joining us. A road trip through Arizona and Nevada means warmer weather, good company, and many memories.

Raised In Fear

I was raised in fear. My mother used fear as a parenting strategy. She manipulated me by fear, fear of getting hit, and fear of her screaming about how terrible she thought I was. Along with that, there was neglect, like not feeding me, or not allowing me to speak and I better not cry around her or it would just get worse.

Fear-based parenting varies from situation to situation. Some of the examples I have lived are being hit, and being verbally abused, not being fed, and the fear that everyone would hate me if I didn’t do as she told me. To her, I was a horrible person, so horrible that God even hated me.

I was in fear all the time, which created anxiety and sadness so much so that I didn’t enjoy too many things growing up. Because I believed I was a horrible person, I had very low self-esteem and trust issues. I felt like I wasn’t loved and felt alone. Isolated myself from people because of it still today. Some days I have to force myself to get ready for the day and do something productive, otherwise I would stay in my house and become a recluse.

For many years I made bad decisions. I’ve made some mistakes and have had to deal with the consequences of those actions. In my younger adult years, it was because I felt that if no one loved me or cared, why should I care? I didn’t think of the consequences of my actions. And it led me to pretty dark places.

My father worked tirelessly to take care of his family. He wasn’t around much. It wasn’t until he retired that I got to know my father for who he was -an amazing kind hearted man.

After years in therapy, I am improving. And I know a God that loves me and shows me grace and mercy. All in all my life has turned out pretty dang good. I have an amazing husband who has stuck with me through it all. Because I chose to not raise my children the way my mother raised me. I broke the pattern, and have some pretty amazing kids.

I thank God everyday that He had restored my soul and had forgave my sins, and given me a second chance.

Lost Blessings

As I’ve looked over my life I’ve concluded that there is nothing more painful than a lost blessing, one that I know is a direct blessing from God that is taken away by God because I didn’t handle the blessing the right way.

Scripture is full of accounts of lost blessings in which we should learn lessons for our own lives.

The most obvious lost blessing happened with Adam and Eve. God gave Adam and Eve paradise, which included a close, personal relationship with Him, and a life of purpose and direction that would have likely been eternal. Adam and Eve could not manage one simple command and lost it all, resulting in a lost relationship with God, hardship in marriage, hardship in work, and hardship in mind, body, and spirit. Oh yeah, nature fell, too, resulting in all the natural disasters we have as well as diseases affecting us like cancer.

So, what is the lesson of this lost blessing for us? Beware of talking snakes? For me, I hear God saying, “You can do this the easy way or the hard way, it’s your choice. Adam and Eve took the hard way by not doing what God had asked them to do. They didn’t trust God that He was doing what was in their best interest. I know for me when I don’t do what God asks me to do it usually results in the hard way as well.

God will give us free will to choose whatever we want, but Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:23 that if we do not choose to do things God’s way we may find ourselves having a much harder time in life than we need to.

Losing a blessing from God is brutal because I know it is my own fault and know that I will never get that blessing back again.

But God is good. He uses all things for the good of those who love Him so I will be blessed again once I prove I am mature enough to handle the next blessing that can glorify God and impact my life.

Confident People

Who is the most confident person you know?

Confident people tend to exhibit traits like self-assurance, decisiveness, and a positive self-image, believing in their abilities and taking calculated risks without fear of failure. They are also assertive, express their opinions clearly, and don’t seek external validation.

They have psychological traits like believing in their abilities, assertiveness, resilience, and do not worry about things that are outside of their control. They focus on what they can control and don’t let external factors affect their control.

They also don’t feel the need to put others down to feel better and maintain a balanced and respective perspective.