Suffering Silences Satan

Job 1:11 and 22, “But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. ... In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

The story of Job is amazing. I have always felt sorry for Mrs. Job, who gets cast into a bad light for suggesting that Job curse God and die (Job 2:9), but consider that she just lost 10 children! Job didn't go through the jaws of death to bear those 10 children, she did. And I have never felt sorry for Job, because his wife remained with him. I have suffered much in my life, being all alone with no wife by my side, so I don't feel sympathy for Job. But what does impress me is this beautiful truth by Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965): 

Suffering Silences Satan 

“God uses the experience of His children to silence the enemy of the Word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Probably the best example of this is the story of the patriarch Job. Remember that Job was a wealthy man, but he was also a spiritual and godly man. When the Lord called Satan's attention to the fact that Job was a godly man who feared the Lord perfectly with all his heart, the devil accused Job of doing it only for the gain and profit which came to him materially as a result of his fearing the Lord.

You will recall that God gave Satan the privilege, the right, to lay his hand upon Job and to take away his possessions and his family. The result was that Satan was silenced; for Job, instead of murmuring and complaining and turning in bitterness against almighty God, praised the Lord and was able to say, 'The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the lord.' 

Is it not wonderful to think that God is willing to use us to silence the adversary, the devil, by the testing and the trials and the tribulations which come upon us? Many times I have stood at the bedsides of God's patient sufferers and have seen the enemy silence—he that would say we only serve God in sunshine. Many time I have stood at the bedsides of those racked with pain for years and seen smiles of gratitude and praise to God—smiles unlike any other from those who have been trained in the school of affliction. 

If you are one of God's 'Satan-silencers,' praise Him for it.” —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, “Broken Things: Why We Suffer,” pp. 61-62; Discovery House Publishers, ©1948

If we praise God through our suffering, as Job did, God is honored and Satan is silenced. By God's grace I have faithfully continued to serve Him, despite all the hardships in my life. My neck pain and tension began in 2004. My wife divorced me in 2006. Consequently, I lost my home, self-confidence, possessions and retirement. Everything in my life inexplicably worsened, so bad that I bought two barbecues to commit suicide in 2009. No one cared for my soul, but my faith in God sustained me. I underwent two major neck surgeries, without anyone by my side, in 2009 and 2010. The second surgery made me 100% worse, leaving me with constant burning throughout my nervous system. Both of my arms feel inflated. My toothache-like neck pain never goes away. I survive on prescription pain medications. I have lived alone all these years, wanting to die more times than I can remember, wanting companionship, but enable to find a wife. 

Yet, through it all God continues to use my suffering to silence the Devil: 

2nd Corinthians 12:8-10, “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

As only our omnipotent God can do, He has taken the LEMONS in my life to make LEMONADE. God is so good! The very thing I'm wrestling against may be the thing that God wants to use to bless me! Jacob wrestled with the Lord. Genesis 32:26, “And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” If you are suffering in enduring loneliness, inexplicable pain and traumatic heartache—I know exactly what you feel, and I've been and am there friend. Learn and claim the PROMISES of God in the inspired King James Bible. That is my great joy, comfort and hope! Our God is faithful to keep His promises! What a precious Savior!!! 

“Did you know that God uses hurtin' people? That's part of the reason why we have to hurt in this world, so we can help other people who hurt.” —Pastor Danny Castle, from the life-changing sermon, “KEEP ON PRAYING”