Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
This passage of scripture pulls back the curtain and sheds tremendous light on issues that were previously hidden from view. It teaches us that our lives are in the hands of God every moment of every day, and it's not because of any intuition or protective measures that we may take, that our lives are preserved. The fact that God sets a hedge of protection about His people is well documented in the bible, and even satan acknowledges this fact. The bible tells us that the angel of The Lord encamps round about them that fear Him and delivers them, and these measures would not have been put in place if they were not absolutely necessary.
From day to day Job and his entire family went about their duties, and they may have never seen those mighty, invisible guardians stationed about them, warding off potential harm and dangers that the enemy of all righteousness would have brought upon their household. And so that we may have a clearer understanding of God's watch-care over us, and in order that we may know for certain that there are those who really love God for who He is, The Lord permitted the devil to do what he had long desired to do with Job's possessions and family. As soon as the protective hedge was lifted, then satan went to work in a hurry, to do as much damage as he possibly could in as short a time as possible. Let's read:
Job 1:12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. 13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
These verses reveal some of the more common agencies that the enemy uses to cause harm when permitted to do so, and we must study them carefully so as not to be deceived by our so-called scientific explanations that take place when certain disasters strike. The Sabeans and the Chaldeans spoken of in verses 15 and 17 respectively represent human agencies that are under the direct control of evil spirits, who do the enemy's bidding when moved upon to do so. But his nefarious activities are not restricted only to human agents, for in the scriptures he is also referred to as "the prince of the power of the air" and therefore he is also able to spawn tornadoes and violent hurricanes when permitted to do so.
In verse 16, the fire referred to is lightening which was generated from satan, for Christ tells us that He beheld satan fall as lightening from heaven, and in verse 19 the "great wind" that came from the wilderness and demolished the house where Job's children were feasting, was a tornado emanating directly from satan. These things were revealed to us, not to scare us, but so that we will realize that our temporal security depends on God and God alone, and as such we should be praising and thanking Him for His manifold blessings and mercies that are renewed to us every day.
Many people and even some Christians go about their daily round of duties not cognizant of the fact that our lives are preserved by the omnipotent power of God each day, and it is because of this oblivious attitude why we sometimes presume upon His goodness and take His mercies for granted. And there are those who even dare to cast aspersions on the fact that God protects the righteous. This brazen attitude was manifested at times by the king Nebuchadnezzar when he threatened to throw the three Hebrews into the fiery furnace, for their steadfast purposes in not bowing down to dumb idols. Let's read:
Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
The results of the king's boastful claims were ultimately brought to nought when he saw with his own two eyes, The Son of God, even Jesus Christ, walking in the midst of the fiery furnace with His faithful servants, and if the king had dared to persist in his pride, the story may have ended with his immediate demise, for God has promised to defend the righteous when they are assaulted by both spiritual and earthly foes.
In our own personal lives it is of the utmost importance to harbor an intelligent awareness of the presence of God with us, not only for security reasons, but more so because it is a pleasure and a good thing to serve The Living God. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this sacred truth to us, and it is the will of God that we live as in His very presence from day to day. Let's read:
Psalms 34:7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
May we always harbor an intelligent understanding of God's protective care over us night and day, for He is greatly to be praised for his kindness towards us. "Good night" and God bless!