February 7 Daily Devotional

Hedged In

Peter G. Feenstra

So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” (Job 1:9–11)

Bible Reading

James 1:2–12

Devotional

Do the deeds of God’s children always spring forth from the right motives? Will we cling to the Lord through difficult times or will we abandon Him in the hour of trial? In the book of Job, Satan insinuates that Job is a fair-weather believer. He suggests that the LORD made things too easy for Job, shielding and sheltering him from harm.

Job 1:10 introduces a theme which runs through the rest of the book: hedging. The devil is convinced that the Lord, in a manner of speaking, has planted a hedge of thorn bushes around all Job owned so that no plague or disaster can harm Job’s huge herds and productive fields. The man from Uz leads a very sheltered life! God has blessed Job so richly that his flocks have multiplied at a very rapid rate. Satan suggests Job honours the Giver because of the gifts. This is why he confronts the Lord with a challenge: “But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

What are we to make of the devil’s accusation? Does he have a point? Would we remain strong in our faith and trust in the Lord if, not just one, but all our children were taken from us and our possessions were reduced to rubble? Let it be clear: the devil does not have a point at all! Every accusation against Job is an attack on God’s work in the life of every believer. If Satan is right, a scathing judgment is pronounced on the work of the Lord in the life of His children. By accusing Job of being a fair-weather believer, driven by selfishness, Satan seeks to denounce all piety as a farce. The implications of Satan’s challenge are far-reaching and very dangerous. He is taking stabs at the ministry of the church.

Thank God, there is no truth to Satan’s accusations! The Lord hedges in His children with the arms of His compassion. Even though they may cry out in distress, they can be sure that their Father will shelter them. He will never leave or forsake us—certainly not in the hour of our greatest need. Although we may go through tremendous trials, hardships and troubles, the Lord uses them to test and purify us and to draw us closer to Him in genuine love and heartfelt longing.

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