"My" Servant Job: Job 1.6-12

"Possession is nine-tenths of the law." "Finders keepers. Losers weepers." "It's mine and you can't have it." "I'll take my ball and go home." All of these are things that we say, or have said, to claim possession of our stuff. The problem with this is that it can denote a sense of self-entitlement and selfishness. Although selfishness is sin and leads to even more sin, referring to something as "mine" is often a good and positive thing.




In the Scripture at hand, God and Satan are having a discussion about the state of the world. Satan has been 'cruising' to find potential targets to wreak havoc on (v. 7). The Bible says that he goes all over looking for those whom he could tempt (1 Peter 5.8). There are two implications here: 1) Satan is not content to wait for Job, or anyone to stumble. He is active and aggressive in pursuing recruits. 2) If Satan was working to tempt and torment Job, why would he not be working to tempt you and I today.



Be alert. But don't become a fanatic. Know that if you are doing the will of God, Satan will oppose you and work against you. But do not assume that everytime you come to an ocstacle, a headache or a hangnail, that it is an attack of Satan.




"My" denotes

• Ownership. When you refer to something as "mine" it means that you are the owner. You are in possession of it. It denotes authority and responsibility. When God says that you and I are "his," he is telling us, and Satan, that he is in charge. That we are in his care.


• Association. When ownership or possession are indicated by the use of "my" or "mine" it also implies association. You do not usually claim something as your own unless you are not embarassed by association with it. God longs to be associated with us. He wants relationship, ownership and association.


• Familiarity. There is something to be said for frequency of association. I am president of the local Community Association. There are many people who are members of that organization, but who are not familiar with it. They participate in name only. God is not like that. When he claims us as his own, he asserts his desire to know us intimately. He is passionate about being familiar with us.