“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” Job 1:1.

At some point there may come a time in your walk with God when you ask the question “Why should I continue?” If we, as Christians, ever hit that point, the book of Job could be our greatest resource; at a minimum it should not be neglected.

I want to relate some circumstances that have drastically affected my life of late. Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit it was laid on my heart to communicate to others something that many of you may identify with. A course of events associated with my life, which began some years back, have somewhat come to a head in these last few weeks.

About ten years ago I began to actually study my Bible. I was saved before that, but because of the Church I attended I wasn’t really encouraged to study my Bible, only to give it a causal read now and then. And the Old Testament was practically forbidden by the leadership of this particular Church. Being a stubborn man at heart and having the curiosity of a cat, I ventured into the Old Testament realm without hesitation. All in all, my studying took the inevitable turn toward believing the Bible (God’s word) over man, which sent me running from that particular Church never to look back.

Then, almost six years ago now, the Holy Spirit led me and my family to Missouri where I was able to fully engulf myself into Bible study. Through these studies it was only natural to venture into the Greek and Hebrew, ever seeking a deeper understanding of God’s Word. I now stand on a more sure foundation. I was relieved to find that the English translation, for the most part, coincided with the original languages. As I continued my studies I began to sense the Holy Spirit leading me into an arena previously unexplored by me. Writing.

It has now been a little over four years since I began writing these commentaries, always led by the Holy Spirit to be an encouragement to others who might be struggling with God’s word. At times it is quite laborious, but always a labor of love. My writing has taken me on cyber travels throughout the entire world. Friends and acquaintances have popped up from almost every country on planet earth, brothers and sisters in Christ reading my commentaries and responding – some with questions or asking for further explanations but most simply respond with words of encouragement, as well as words of gratitude, and of love. I’m so thankful for all my friends, and oh how I’d like to respond to every letter.

Now let me get to the heart of the matter. Four years ago, just after embarking on this new adventure in writing commentaries, a series of illnesses began to affect me physically. Being somewhat slow to grasp situations it hadn’t dawned on me until quite recently that perhaps I was under some sort of satanic attack. Satan and his hoard of evil followers might just have set their sights on me. Am I being attacked similarly to Job and many others since who have stepped into the realm of promoting God’s Kingdom? Or perhaps it’s only that we live in a fallen world and entropy is taking its toll on my body.

Let me describe what’s been happening to me over the past four years. Perhaps after reading this account you will see similarities between what’s been attacking me and troubles in your own life that may be pulling you away from God. Maybe – just maybe – you can find the relief I have.

I began to experience periods of extreme dizziness which made it almost impossible to have an active lifestyle. Then something began to affect my eyesight which led me to seek medical help. My muscles became weak and I was almost lethargic at times. I had to discontinue many of my normal activities, such as going to the store and going to Church, and I could no longer do my usual yard work which I dearly loved to do. To shorten a very long story, I’m now almost completely immobile. I spend a huge amount of my life on the couch.

I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Myasthenia Gravis. There is no known cure for this disease, but there are treatments that can give relief in 90 percent of the people who have this disease. The first attempts at treatment thus far have had no effect. Perhaps this is something more than just entropy. Time and more attempts at treatment will tell.

In addition to this disease I’ve been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. Also, I had a total knee replacement about 14 years ago which was a complete failure and I’ve had to put up with that inconvenience for years, and now my other knee has decided to go the same way, and of course this just adds to my mobility problems.

It gets better. Because of my medical condition, my wife needs to stay close to me to help when I get stuck and cannot get up from the couch or I can’t walk back from the kitchen or bathroom. She has some medical problems of her own which also hinder her ability to be an asset to any company. This has put a strain on our finances since I’m only receiving social security we haven’t the means to do much outside of getting by. As many of you know the medical cost involved in pursuing answers and ultimately relief from these physical ailments can be daunting. The cost of the medications that one must take to continue living can be a formidable task to overcome. Sometimes we wonder just how is this all possible. God has never ceased to amaze the Graham family as mountains of hardships become molehills to contend with.

Through all of this turmoil the commentaries keep coming. Each week God gives me one more commentary. I’m reminded of what Jesus said to His Apostle Paul, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9. What more could we want, or even need for that matter, than the power of Christ resting upon us? Surely His grace is sufficient in all our endeavors.

This is why the power of Satan, which is indeed a force to be reckoned with, is no match for the power of God. My wife and I are committed to do God’s will and to live the best we can promoting His Kingdom while proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the world. If that means we are to endure the slings and arrows of the enemy, so be it.

As believers we are in a battle, a spiritual battle that will not and cannot be won through man’s meager means. This battle we are in belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. When we turn our lives over to Him, He takes control, and we are then only bystanders. Yes we are to be afflicted at times, sure there is pain and suffering, absolutely there will be occasions when we feel like giving in to the enemy and surrendering. But the book of Hebrews tells us “…be content with such things as ye have: for…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Hebrews 13:5-6.

Fear can be a real foe and it must be dealt with. Fear can be debilitating in and of itself. There is no need to fear when we are born again because God has taken possession of what belongs to Him. It’s interesting just how many times in our Bibles we are told to “fear not”. After all, what’s the worst that can happen to us? Death? “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55. God is in control and the sooner we come to that realization the better we will get along in this world.

My wife and I and our daughter had been doing just fine with all these aliments, God saw us through each month. Now another blessing has come our way. Our oldest daughter and her four children have come to live with us. Through a set of circumstances in her life God has brought her back to Mom and Dad, and back to Him. We may never have had the opportunity to see our grandchildren, but now they live with us. Although we have a rather modest home we are content with what God blesses us with – and still opportunities abound.

Throughout the last four years since embarking on this adventure of writing for the Lord, my life has had many ups and downs. But through it all my faith in God has sustained me. Just knowing that God is near to me and guiding me and blessing me and my family with His grace and mercy has been my great joy.

If you are a born again believer in Christ reading this commentary today and you have had similar circumstances that have affected your life but were unable to make neither heads nor tails out of what’s happening, then be assured God knows your afflictions and He hears your prayers. In His time according to His will all will be worked out for His glory. Satan loses, God is always the winner, and we are the beneficiaries of Gods victory.

On the other hand, if you don’t know God as your Lord and Savior there is still time to make an adjustment to your eternal circumstances. Place your faith and your trust and your entire life in the hands of the King – King Jesus the Christ – and then watch as He takes control of your life. You may be surprised at the results, but you will never be sorry.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

All scripture is from the KJV and God breathed