BUT TAKE HEART, I HAVE CONQUERED THE WORLD

Sakkie Parsons

Translated from Afrikaans
Translator: Robin Barker

Someone wrote to me and shared with me three terrible tragedies that occurred with her over a two week period and as they say in English: ‘To top it all’ – people wanted to drive devils/demons out of her ‘house’, the ‘house’ that our Lord, as a child of God gave her to live in. Because you see, they said, it is now three tragedies in a row. No, I also do not know why it should be devils, because it was three accidents in a row.

I am going to share with you what I wrote to her as you may know of someone who may also benefit from this writing.

I wrote to you earlier and amongst other things said that I think ‘our Lord has a high opinion of you’ and added:
‘This is the kind of thing that an immature child of our Lord could not handle.’

One piece of evidence that says to me that you are spiritually mature is that you were immediately able to ‘see through’ the foolish help that other people offered you. In connection with this I am going to send you, shortly after this, the others that I have written about this topic.

Now I want to share with you the following and I know that there are people who will disagree with me but I share it with you and I know our Lord will show you in your heart the way He wants you to understand it.

Instances like yours and as example mine, when I was diagnosed with melanoma cancer in 1997 and the doctor, in answering to my wife’s and my question about what my chances are, said that if they cannot prevent it, I would have three or if I am very lucky six months to live, it made me think about Job. I want to share this with you now.
Just first read the following:

JOB 1:6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
JOB 1:7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

We like to brag about our children and you are of course a child of our Lord.
Now we read and from my point of view, it is purely bragging about Job.

JOB 1:8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

Now we must also remember that our Lord is All-knowing and He knew right from the start where this conversation was going with satan but, I believe, He wanted to show satan how powerless satan was against a true child of our Lord.
Cutting it straight to the bone, our Lord just wanted to “brag” with one of His children – and satan, to put it that way, because his nature is what it is, played right into our Lord’s hand.

JOB 1:9-11
9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied.
10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

Now – satan was exactly where our Lord wanted him to be – our Lord says to him:

JOB 1:12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

In other words if I read between the lines:
Then, go and make a ‘fool’ of yourself and the rest, as they say, is history –

In the end, Job had nothing, literally nothing. Later not even health or the support of his wife and what do we read about Job?

JOB 1:20-22
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship
21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

How absolutely glorious to read the following in the Word of our Lord about His children’s situations on earth on our road to Heaven:

JAMES 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

We know that it was exactly what happened to Job, because we read in the last chapter of the book of Job:

JOB 42:12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. …

I think about what has happened to both you and me, while I also keep my own situation in mind and I loudly rejoice:

ROMANS 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Is it not our Lord and Redeemer that said and wrote for us –

JOHN 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Greetings,
Sakkie