“Hit 1” (Job 1:13-22)[Spanish Jerusalem Bible Series - Job sub-series - # Job 1:13-22]

So then old satan makes his move –
Man’s weakness he sets out to prove;
Permitted to hit things Job owned,
But not his person – that alone.

A four-part hit then cleaned Job out –
The Sabeans came, looked about,
And seized the donkeys, oxen, then
Slew keepers – one escaped of men.

A fire from heavens swept away
All sheep and shepherds in one day;
Chaldeans in three groups swept down
Seized camels, slew all keepers found.

A hurricane from desert parts
Swept in and tore kid’s home apart,
Which wiped his kids out (who were viewed
As Job’s “Possessions” – they went too).

Did Job trash-talk God to His face?
His wife advised he know his place
And do just that – but Job said, “No”
(Which brought last test for seńor Job).

Job said, “God gives and takes away
Both good and bad – what can one say
But it’s been good, up to this date
Though I’m not pleased, on God I wait.”

So what does this give insight to
Re: satan’s powers to mess anew
With one and all? On Kingdom-layer
Where we abide – God’s house of prayer?

I’m thinking all can take such hits
But Kingdom-layer quite changes it –
Job sat it out (and wondered, “Why
Is all destroyed – my kids have died?”)

But what I see more clearly now,
Is Kingdom-layer, for it allows
Us to abide, mature, grow up,
Detached from satan’s nasty stuff.

Job did it “by the grace of God”,
While the living there upon the sod;
God’s Kingdom-layer can hold us up,
So Grace can move us through such stuff.

But more than that, now Christ’s last task
Is taking on, in world we’ve trashed,
All powers, authorities, around,
And principalities now found –

Until it’s cleaned up, set to rights;
And He invites us to the fight;
We lose it all – kith, kin, and life,
And goods, like Job, in service bright –

But like Sun Tsu saw – “Win, then fight”,
Which God has done – in dark sets light;
We win in end – which side you on?
To whom do you, in life belong?

God said (when we left Eden’s gates),
“It’s going to hurt – but you can’t wait
To live your lives some ‘better way’ –
In doing that, you’ll say some day –

“Perhaps this was not smart of us –
There seems to be excessive fuss;
Maybe I’ll climb on Kingdom-layer;
Change sides, and grow to wholeness there”.

Lord, satan’s antics (we take up,
And have since Eden’s days), are tough –
Grace us to stay in tune with Thee;
Respond in love now we’re set free.

Thanks Lord for this.

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