The audio for this devotional is not available for now, but you can have your device read it to you.
Reading options
Verse:“All right, you may test him,” the LORD said to Satan.“Do whatever you want with everything he possesses,but don’t harm him physically.” —Job 1:12, NLT
My brush with death during my automobile accident reminds me of the story of Job and how the devil had a meeting with God regarding Job. Satan challenged God that the only reason Job was faithful was because God had protected him. God gave the devil permission to test Job’s faith. However, God placed a condition on the devil—he could not take Job’s life.
In the end, Job passed the test, for he never wavered in his faith. He remained faithful despite every trial and loss the devil put him through.
I think back to my accident. I sustained no injuries except for chest pain due to the impact of the car and the safety belt. However, I struggled mentally for quite a while when having to drive on a hill or around a curve. But God was still faithful. The Western Cape Educational Department referred me to a wellness program for shock counseling. In the end, I realized that healing comes from trusting God and knowing that He will never leave me or forsake me. I am now driving again. Life goes on, and, in the end, God’s name is honored.
All the trials we encounter will be in vain if, in the end, we don’t honor the One who has placed a hedge around our lives. The One who said to the devil, “Yes, you may test the faith but not take the life.” That is what my God did for me on August 15, 2016. He saved my life.
In Job 1:12, we read God’s words to the devil concerning Job. “ ‘All right, you may test him,’ the LORD said to Satan. ‘Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically’ ” (NLT). Sometimes God can remove the hedge around you to test your faith, but He will still—and always—be around when the devil strikes. For me, the hedge was removed on August 15, 2016, and the devil struck. What he did not know was that God Himself was in the car with me. The devil will not stop trying to shake our faith, my dear sisters. Let us draw courage in the assurance that when the battle is over, our God will prevail in the end. Be ye faithful until the end, dear sisters. Trust God, and know that He loves you in your situation and circumstances. It is my prayer, my sisters, that if the hedge is removed, your faith will not be shaken. Trust God, stand tall, and declare, “He saved me!”
Deborah Matshaya