Warfare in heaven. The images that pop in my head involve superhero movies, with massive explosions, bizarre creatures zipping through the galaxy, and worlds melting—a fun bit of entertainment.

In Revelation we read of the real thing. Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. The battle turned against the rebellious ones. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.

Satan’s enters the story of humanity at the beginning and remains to the end. In the book of Job, we see Satan manipulating circumstances to entice a good man to curse God and die. In our day, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, look for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Satan left the heavens to wage war against those who keep God’s commands and hold fast to their testimony about Jesus.

Satan comes after believers. Hard to imagine such evil exists until, of course, you take a close look around the world. I find it hard to believe in demons, but if I believe in angels, then belief in devils must follow. The Bible clearly speaks of both.

To our salvation, Satan melts before the living God. Jesus showed his power over demons again and again. As believers we are told we should resist the devil, by standing firm in the faith (1 Peter 5:9). Martin Luther claimed to have fended off the devil by throwing a handful of his feces at him. I cannot recommend this practice, but resist in whatever way works for you.

A career that began in the heavens eventually ends in a pit. But in the meantime Satan, the patron saint of psychopaths, walks our world enraged and effective. Let us resist him, stand firm in our faith, and hold fast to our testimony about Jesus.

Revelation 12 in week fifty in reading the Bible cover to cover.

Photo by Austrian National Library of World War One destruction to the altar in the church of Segusino

Job, in his anguish and pain, felt deeply separated from God. He saw no hope for himself, for anyone really, in the hands of a distant and unhearing God. Perhaps you’ve felt the same? I know I have. Job shares these thoughts:

He (God) is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Sound familiar? Job, in some of the earliest words written in our Bible, asked for a mediator between God and man. He called for Jesus, without knowing anything about Jesus or hearing a prophecy of a messiah.

Job didn’t know of Jesus, but Job knew he needed someone like Jesus.

Someone to bring us together. I can’t think of better words, a more beautiful phrase, to describe what Jesus accomplished. Jesus brings us together with God. Jesus removes God’s rod from us and God’s terror need frighten us no more. Now we may speak with the Lord, through our mediator, who sits at God’s right hand and makes intercession for us.

It helps me to imagine Job, sitting in the dark, experiencing unbelievable loss, scraping skin eruptions all over his body with a broken shard of pottery, and wishing to die. Hopeless. Yet still believing, and desperately calling for someone to bridge the gap between him and God.

Job’s not the only one who’s sat in that place. You and I have as well. We all face pain and heartache and disappointment and tragedy. The only difference? The mediator waits for you and me to come, to speak and approach the Lord.

This incredible privilege, denied to Job, waits available to me and you and all who come together with Jesus.

Job 9 in week fifty of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Daniel Lerman

I paused when I read Job’s complaint, my days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle. I wondered, just how fast is a weaver’s shuttle? Is it quicker than a New York minute? Faster than greased lighting? Is it hell bent for leather? Quicker than a duck on a June bug? Faster than a scalded cat?

You can see my dilemma. So I googled weaver’s shuttles (my sister-in-law knows how to work a loom, so I thinking she’s the one person I know who understands this adage). As I watched this video, I gained an understanding of the picture Job shares. A weaver gets fast with her shuttle.

While I enjoyed my brief foray into weaving, Job’s larger point remains—life flies by. Job’s world took a terrible turn, and he’s speaking of life as short and life as hard. My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope.

Job expresses a universal condition, one we all understand. Life is challenging, difficult, and painful at times. It gives me hope to realize that the book of Job is perhaps the oldest in the Bible, and people have been dealing with these questions from the beginning. Job is you and me, set in far off days.

This bit of wisdom helps me remember to enjoy today, and the family and friends and co-workers and even strangers the Lord puts into my life. Because life is gone quicker than a wink—or a weaver’s shuttle.

Job 7 in week fifty of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Nick Wood

Recently I took part in a video meeting with a large group of people, most new to me. As we introduced ourselves I cocked my ear when one man shared his name and job. His voice, low and smooth, sounded so perfect. I thought, wow, he should read audio books. Turns out, this gentleman hosts a radio show and a podcast. He puts his broadcast voice to good use.

David wrote about the ultimate voice: The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders…The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic…The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert.

With only his voice, the Lord bounces mountains and shakes deserts like a rug. Power resides in every articulation.

In Genesis the Lord created the heavens and earth using only his voice. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Elijah heard the voice of the Lord in the quiet, in silence, in a still, small voice.

God’s voice creates, God’s voice destroys, God’s voice delicately brushes my ear.

I wonder if I’m paying enough attention to notice?

Psalm 29 in week fifty of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Ali Yasar isgoren