Smote and a Mirror

We have all heard the phrase “smoke and mirrors” which we know is distortion of reality to trick our brain into seeing unrealistic images and come to an altered final understanding.  We see that Satan smote Job with painful sores now.  Job had a very strong faith, his heart and mind were set on God.  Like many of us when we become physically weary our mind starts to weaken, our heart does not seem to have the same firm hold on our hope does it?  In my opinion Satan used his power to smote Job as a form of smoke and mirrors.

In Luke chapter 11 where we stopped yesterday, we have to believe Jesus must have been getting a bit tired he had been preaching, teaching and standing strong against the critics.  When, bless her heart, a woman blurted out to Jesus “ Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts which You nursed!”  To which Jesus stated, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”  The crowd doesn’t do anything but pick up at this point.  And Jesus continues by saying, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah.”

Jonah did something spectacular, he walked through the streets and spoke the truth of God to people God called child like: not knowing the difference between right and wrong.  When they repented and turned to God so that they could be saved and all might go well with their soul,  Jonah was angry.  Guess what God used to get Jonah’s vision corrected – Smote and a Mirror.  Unlike satan, God allows us to feel things and then gives us a mirror to see ourselves in light of our new information.  He is interested in our very life….forever. 

So now, back to Job.  At the closing of scene 2 there were these 3 men who were fairly close to Job, probably from a congregation or community and they had all received an accurate report of the situation.  They decided to come and show compassion to him because they had pity for him.  However, upon arriving the scene must have been so much worse than they anticipated, they basically did the same thing that the King of Nineveh when he heard the truth from Jonah – except in the midst of throwing the ashes and ripping their garments they did not open their mouth to call on God.  Instead they withheld what Job needed most, the word of God being lifted up and poured out to encourage him.  They should have been bringing to remembrance Jobs integrity and character but they just sat there allowing satan to manipulate the false images as well as allow Job more time for his heart and mind to weaken.

In my mind I imagine that satan desired this to take place for 7 days simply to mock God even further, then on the 7th day he must have taken such pride in work of his hands and said it is finished.  Can you imagine how disgusted he was when Job cursed the day he was born and not God?

Think on all this today and write about it.  Reflect on the power of speaking up to affirm our faith in God’s truth so that we are not  overtaken during a spiritual battles leaving us in a worse state than from where we began.  I pray that your spirit prospers even as your soul does and that you will allow this power to flow from your heart, mind and lips unhindered…….for His glory and name sake.

In Jesus Christ,

Kisses,

Candace