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DO YOU HAVE HOPE OF GETTING BACK WHAT YOU\u2019VE LOST?<\/strong><\/p>\n May the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, be blessed. Welcome as we explore God\u2019s Word\u2014the lamp that lights our path and guides our steps (Psalm 119:105).<\/p>\n Do you work with your hands, run a business, or manage a farm or livestock? Do you rely on these activities for your income?<\/p>\n Have you ever had a project, business, or investment suddenly fall apart? Sometimes it\u2019s hard to understand why. Today, I want to help you see the reason for such trials through Scripture.<\/p>\n If you are in Christ\u2014standing firm, faithful, and obedient to the Lord\u2014and your work suddenly collapses, know that the cause is like what happened to Job. Satan may go before God to accuse you because of your righteousness, and God allows certain trials. But these challenges have a good purpose: if you endure and overcome them, God will exalt you even more. These trials are meant to move God\u2019s people from one level of spiritual growth to another.<\/p>\n However, if you are outside of Christ\u2014meaning you have not received Jesus, do not believe in Him, and do not live a holy life pleasing to Him\u2014and your work or possessions are suddenly destroyed in an extraordinary way, the story is different. The same spiritual attacks that struck Job can strike you, but the outcome is far more severe.<\/p>\n Satan or his demons may go before God to accuse you, and God may allow them to destroy your work, your business, or your livestock. The difference is, if you are not in Christ, there is no hope of recovering what you\u2019ve lost.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s consider a biblical example to illustrate this. In Mark 5:6\u201314, we read about a man possessed by many demons. The demons begged Jesus not to send them away but to enter a herd of pigs. Jesus allowed it, and the demons entered the pigs. The entire herd\u2014about 2,000 pigs\u2014ran into the sea and drowned. The herdsmen fled and reported the incident to the town.<\/p>\n Think about it: this man was likely very wealthy, with 2,000 pigs and several herdsmen. But suddenly, everything was gone. On the surface, he might have blamed witchcraft or bad luck, but the real cause was spiritual. Demons went before Jesus to ask permission to destroy his wealth\u2014and Jesus allowed it.<\/p>\n This is similar to Job, whose livestock were also destroyed by Satan with God\u2019s permission (Job 1:9\u201312).<\/p>\n The key difference is what happened afterward. Job, who was righteous and in God\u2019s favor, eventually received double what he had lost. The rich man in Mark, however, never recovered his herd. He reaped nothing but loss. Even the Lord did not intervene to restore the pigs.<\/p>\n Why the difference? The rich man was outside of Christ. He had not repented, had not believed in Jesus, and may even have been among those who rejected Him. That\u2019s why he never recovered what he lost.<\/p>\n This raises an important question: how secure is your work, your business, or your livestock? Are you in Christ, or are you outside Him? You may trust your possessions to protect you, but remember: demons report them before God every day, and God can allow them to be destroyed in a single day.<\/p>\n If God allowed such destruction for Job, who was perfect in His eyes, what about the rest of us, who are not perfect?<\/p>\n Ask yourself: when a day of sudden loss comes\u2014like it did for Job or the rich man\u2014where will you be? Will you have hope like Job, or will you be lost like the rich man?<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t yet received Jesus, now is the time. Accept Him for the safety of your spirit, your children, your possessions, and your livestock. Otherwise, you risk losing hope in the days of trial.<\/p>\n May the Lord bless you.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you like, I can also make a slightly shorter, punchier version<\/strong> that\u2019s perfect for sharing as a devotional or sermon, keeping it impactful and easy to read aloud.<\/p>\n Do you want me to do that next?<\/p>\n
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