God’s hedge of protection

I have started reading the book of Job recently and this book for me hits differently. I remember as a kid I avoided this book because, “Everyone dies & he’s tortured.”; so why would I want to read that? After walking through my own storm 3 years ago in June, the book of Job tells me a different story….

Starting off you are induced to Job. A man who loves God, try’s to live his life to shows that to others as well, prays daily (back then also sacrificed), & also has a hedge of protection around him. That stood out to me…. We hear people pray, (I too have prayed that), but do we believe in that hedge? If you don’t the beginning of this book crushes that theory of a imaginary hedge and your doubts of the devil roaming the Earth all in one opening passage.

So let’s start off with a summary: Here Job is: loving his life, his wife, his 7 sons & 3 daughters, and praising God. One day God was watching Job, (Because no matter how much evil is here on Earth – God takes the time to be with each of us.), and the Devil walks in. God never trembles, God never fears him, he just looks at him and says – “ Can’t find anyone to torment? Can’t find any evil to do?”. (I’m phrasing of course.) the Devil then looks up to God and says, “Not really. And your guy Job there – Well no one can touch him because “You have placed a hedge of protection around him!”.

Take Job 1:10 in for a minute…. the verse goes like this : “Have you NOT PLACED a HEDGE of PROTECTION AROUND him, his house, & everything thing that he has in every side?” God didn’t just place his hand ON JOB, but on his HOME, on his FAMILY, on his WORKERS, his LAND, & EVERYTHING around him: camels, sheep, oxen, etc… If you actually are praying for a hedge you need to BELIEVE in that hedge, why? Because God will place one. Not only will he put one in place, but he will place caution tape around you that tells the devil himself that reads “Child of the King!” & the devil himself knows he cannot cut through that hedge. Why? Why would the devil stop and say this? Why would he mention this hedge? Because we cannot see the spiritual battles that are going around us . I believe if we could, we would be so scared. God allows us to see what he believes we can handle seeing and that’s why some of us will never experience anything because we are too infant like in our spiritual state of mind to see and believe. God knows we will whine and want our bottles. Pastor Lyn spoke on that Sunday . How we need to get off our spiritual bottles and be scarfing down that steak instead spiritually…

Job did not have a spoon feed faith. Job knew that God had placed that hedge. Job knew that God had blessed him beyond his means. Everyone who knew Job talked about how God put his hand on him , so much so that even the Devil himself knew ….take a moment here and think… If you don’t think your tiny prayers asking God to protect you from evil in this world actually works, think about it next time your late for work. Think about it next time you witness a wreck that if you was on time for would have been you. Think about that when you feel like you should pray but don’t know why or who for? Pray. Because someone out there is needing that hedge. I could stay on this topic forever.

I remember many of times where God shown his hand to me later in life & I have felt what Job felt to a degree. But I never understood this hedge very well before….

As a kid, and still to this day, when my mom, nana, & all of us travel- Nana always says a pray for us to find what we need, to have us have safe travels, lots of laughs, and most of all a hedge of protection around us… It wasn’t until I was older I realized how important those small prayers are. How powerful those small car prayers are. How important it is to do that daily, even driving, to have those small prayers… Mainly because even her hedge surround me, even if I wasn’t feeling like it. Job’s prayers and hedge touched everyone he was around. His servants, family, land, etc. If you don’t believe that your faith in God can protect your family, this verse knocks that theory out the door!

If your praying for a hedge of protection for your family, Gods planting that hedge to grow strong and wide. If your praying for that hedge to wrap your kids up and protect them daily, God wrapping them in it. If your praying for your spouse as the travel to and from work everyday, you better believe that vehicle is a moving hedge. Why? Because if you a praying for that hedge it is so more realistic than you can every imagine!!

It was so real the devil himself asked God if that was what he seen. If that’s what that tape around Job said “Back off : Child of the King’s here!” Even in the unseen spiritual world, the devil knows who he can mess with and who he cannot. But we cannot focus on just the hedge here. Because Job’s story isn’t a fun one….

After the devil himself asked God if that was the hedge, God told him, “Yeah that’s my Job. I protect him. He loves & fears me.” But this is where we need to see that we have to praise God in the storm too… in verse 11&12: the devil says , “Hey God, I bet if you take your hedge down, he will flat out deny you. He will disown you. He won’t love you anymore. I bet that he will even curse your name!” God knew Job’s heart. He knew because he spent time with him. But there cane a day where God allowed Job to be tested. Did God do it to hurt Job? No. Did God feel for Job. I believe so. But God knew In order to grow Job and to reach even more people, Job needed to go through a trail of life. God knew it would make Job stronger. So God allowed the devil to test him. And one day he was eating in his house, and he was told in one day all of servants with the oxen was killed and so was the animals, sheep and servants were struck but fire from the sky and burned up, his enemies came and killed his servants and took all his camels, even his children was taken up by a whirlwind… If that doesn’t sound like a bad day I don’t know what does…

But is says in verse in 20 & 21, that Job shaved his head, fell down on the ground and Worshipped God. He praised God saying this is 21 : “…The Lord Gives & the Lord Takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord…”

But I don’t want to leave out verse 22. To me it is so important! When your going through a trail, a storm, swimming the ocean of life: you think, “What have I done to you God?” . Others thinks “They must have sinned really bad for that to happen to them.” But that is not true!! It is something I have personally thought about. I too thought I was being punished by God when he allowed my son to go back to heaven. God c ok I’d have touched him and in one touch he would have been healed head to toe, a miracle would have been taken place and everyone would have seen Gods hand, but instead he made us look harder for his hand… We prayed for Rhett to healed & that’s what God did. He heavenly healed him. And then the trail began. Like Job, the devil wants us to curse Gods name. But you will feel like you have sinned . You ask God that. You ask why did you allow this to happen. That right there is why verse 22 is SO important!

“In all this Job did Not sin or cursed God.” ~ Job 1:22

God doesn’t allow us testing to be mean. He does it so that when we get through with this trail, we will grow stronger. Many people never get through the trail because they curse God. Trust me. If anyone reading this doesn’t believe it’s easy not to be mad at God in a trail, let me be the first to tell you anger is there. But cursing God isn’t the answer. God didn’t leave Job. It felt like he left him, but he didn’t. God didn’t allow Job to die. He even td the devil he could not kill Job. Why? Why would he allow him to live through this? One answer: Because he LOVED Job.

This virus happening right now is a test for God people. It’s showing God who will still cling to him and seek him out even when there is no one to impress by posting selfies of nice church dresses and putting on our fake worship faces to impress others. God doesn’t care if your worshipping him in your Pj’s or and expensive designer dress. Job stripped himself naked and cried out to God. He just wants us to seek him. He wants to know that through it all, we can love him and need him.

Did God take my son away to hurt me? No God answered my pray and healed him. Did the devil have a role in my sons death. 100% . The Devil is only good for “.killing, stealing, and destroying.” – And he did. I will believe & day that until I have no breath in my lungs to breathe.

So today if you asking yourself if you should still ask God for protection, yes you should. Will everyone be tested? In some way, maybe. In Job’s way? There will be some. I know because I have seen with my own eyes others who have to walk my same road, but I know why God had me go through the trail. I know why God allowed me to suffer. Not because I sinned , but because he needed someone on this grief stricken road to bring comfort in the storm.

Maybe your walking through the storm now to. You think your hedge is broken. God still had his hand on Job’s life, he just took his hand off the land and others around him. Even in the trail God is caring for you. Looking back I can see that. Looking back God has allowed me to see his hand in things I couldn’t have seen. Everyday is a trail. Everyday we need his hedge of protection around us. And if your in a trail of illnesses, cancer, child loss, etc: God isn’t punishing you because you sinned. He’s growing you for a bigger purpose. Don’t curse God. That’s what the devil wants. I know because I was presented with that option 4 days after coming home from the hospital. I can remember that day like yesterday. I was laying in bed, and I had the choice to cling to God or cast all my faith away. That moment is one I won’t forget. It literally was just like and angel on one shoulder the devil in the other cartoon type of moment. Just know this: it’s harder to praise God and to pick that bible up and read it when you feel hopeless, but the moment you do- you chose your answer. It slaps the devil so hard in the face if you chose God every time. It’s not easy. It’s not fun. But I knew, in my heart, God was with me. I yelled at him, I cried, I screamed, I asked why, but I did not curse his name and that is one thing I will be proud of . I’m not bragging. I want you to know you too can do this. You can choose to be like Job and praise God in the storm. You can worship right now In your “isolation”, “self distancing” area of your home. You can choose faith over fear and anger every time.

Cling to God and he will cling to you. Even in trouble. God has his hedge of protection around you. Keep praying for it. Keep praying for it to wrap your family around in it. That hedge is not located in one place, it’s Mobil. God isn’t just located in a church, he’s in all of us; we are the church.

I hope this encouraged you. Stay safe out there, play by the rules so we can all stay safe & well, but most of all Connect with God today.

~ Marli ~ Angel Mom to Rhett Alec Rainbow Mom to Selah