Breaching a Hedge of Protection

For some time now, I have been discovering that for many (not all) of the trials we suffer, rather than just think, "It's just a part of life," I believe that we may very well have left ourselves wide open to it. 

 One way we can do this is when we are not living holy lives (set apart for God's purposes), but have allowed corruption to enter into our lives.  In such cases, I believe we will leave ourselves open to some form of destruction outside of God's will for us. Sometimes cancer enters in, or some other sickness or disease. Sometimes the devourer will eat away our finances and we may lose a job or not be able to find one. With destruction and great loss comes fear and the constant worry of losing more, whether it be health, finances, or most importantly, people we love the most and care about.  The stress adds to the deterioration of our health, loss of finances, and relationships are affected.   The following can apply when we fail to honor what we have been given and entrusted with for God's purposes: 

 1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

We can pray for a hedge of protection, but this hedge is compromised when we have allowed sin to enter our lives and we have not repented of it.  When we are living sincere and holy lives (i.e. - willingly set apart for God and His purposes - given everything over to Him and obeying Him), His promises begin to take effect. He puts a hedge around us, our health, our finances, our future and our dreams.  We don't even have to ask for it.  If we look at Job, we see that God was pleased with him and had put a hedge of protection around him.  Satan noticed and challenged God: 

Job 1:8  And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil.

Job 1:9  Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

Job 1:10  Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 

Then we know that God gave permission to Satan to test Job severely in every area of his life, and this was a deeply painful and growing experience for Job. He lost everything, but then later he received twice as much as he had before after he had learned more about God than he had ever imagined! 

So did Job leave a door open to be tested like that?  Did he breach the hedge of protection somehow that Satan would notice him?  Some believe that he did.  Notice the following verse coming from Job's own lips: 

Job 3:25  For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

Did Job leave a door open by the fear he confessed?  Why was Job tested and not another righteous man? We may also wonder why are we tested while others seem to be in perfect health and financially blessed? These are questions we cannot answer conclusively, but we can do everything possible to close the gate of our mind to thoughts that are not from God and that could lead us into fear and unbelief.  

When we leave open a door due to unconfessed sin, unbelief, and/or disobedience to God, are we still under the protection of the Lord?  If suddenly we find ourselves ill and there is no explanation, we can pray and ask God where we may have left ourselves unprotected.  If we lose a job we can ask God if we have been unfaithful to Him in our finances or unproductive in our work.  This is when we need to stay in the Word and obey what the Lord asks us specifically to do.  Without the Word we are open and vulnerable to attack.

Take notice of the following:

Psa 91:1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Notice how it says "dwelleth" [dwell] and "abide."  When we are dwelling and abiding with God, He keeps us safe.  When we step outside of His protective wing, how can we experience the same covering unless someone else is constantly praying for us?

We need to also keep ourselves covered.  I think of Ephesians 6 where we are to be fully dressed in armour so the devil doesn't have an open spot to attack us.  How does he attack? Most often it is in our thought life where he will try and distract us from God and the truth of His Word. By making us fearful, it will lead us into unbelief, and he will always whisper to us in such a way that we will think these thoughts are real and they are our own!  So we must stay in the Word to be able to discern where these thoughts originate!

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

If we do these things, does this mean nothing bad will happen to us? Of course not. We are guaranteed to go through trials.  It is all part of being a Christian to make us more like Christ: 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

When we are tested and find ourselves in a hot furnace of testing, this is when we are made strong. We know we have come through it when we feel a renewed faith and strength we never had before in any given area where we were weak and faithless before.   

As well, in this world we will always have troubles and trials. But Jesus has overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. He has promised us that no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11).  I believe that it is when we leave ourselves open whether through unconfessed sin, fear and unbelief, or any questionable practices (grey areas), that we can experience troubles and trials above and beyond God's hedge of protection around us.  May we search our hearts today and allow God to reveal any areas that He has not endorsed or blessed.