Devotion: The Monster Who Prowls Around Us When We Are Ill
October 31, 2011 By Lisa Copen
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
As millions of people celebrate Halloween today, many of us will be quick to look away. We don’t like the monsters and we don’t want to “celebrate” death or evil.
However, today is a good day to remember just how aware we need to be of the many “monsters” around us, not just today–but every day. Satan is alive and thriving and attempting to conquer each of us.
It’s not a pretty story, but it is true. This evil force, described as a serpent, a dragon, (Revelation 12:7-9) is in our presence.
Job 1:7 tells us, “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.’
He is attempting to discourage each of us; he wants us to feel the pain of our illness and curse God for it; his desire is to claim us as his own.
I want to point something out to you. The pain that we experience in our bodies each day from our illness, could potentially be one of the greatest tools that Satan can use to try to turn us against God.
“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face” (Job 2:4), Satan said to Jesus.
Satan was sure that even though Job did not curse God after suffering some of the greatest losses of a man’s life (like his children), that if he took away his health and covered his body with sores, that would make Job turn away from God.
Job did not curse God but he was quite discouraged. Have you ever felt this way?
“For sighing comes to me instead of food;
my groans pour out like water.
What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil.” (Job 3:24-26)
Our sufferings for Christ can be one of the most amazing blessings we will receive when we see how God uses it in our lives. But that makes us susceptible to also having it be used as one of Satan’s greatest temptations to turn us away from God.
Stay in the Word. Surrender over your plans and dreams to God each day. Don’t allow your hear to harden or you will be even more at risk to this monster that prowls around looking for a way into your life.
Prayer: Lord, I don’t like reading or hearing about satan. I want to give all my thoughts to You. Yet, you know that he is very real and I must be alert and self-disciplined enough to read the Word and talk with You. I cannot live with daily pain and rely on my own strength or I will quickly become one of us victims.
About the Author:
Lisa Copen is an author, speaker, and the founder of Rest Ministries which serves the chronically ill. She lives in San Diego with her husband and 8-year-old son. She is currently writing a book for Christian moms who live with chronic illness. If you are interested in sharing your stories, feedback and confessions for the book, visit her Facebook page at http://MomWithIllness.com .
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