Jacqueline Crooks 4/21/25 Jacqueline Crooks 4/21/25

In Times of Trouble

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." — Luke 22:31-32, ESV

Yeshua knows everything! In the passage above, the disciples are gathered at the Last Supper as Jesus begins to reveal what is about to unfold. In the midst of this conversation, Jesus turns to Peter and tells him that Satan had demanded permission—meaning he was asking or begging God—to take Peter out. Based on Jesus’ words, permission had been granted, because Jesus reassured Peter that He had prayed specifically for his faith not to fail.

Notice, Jesus didn’t pray that the attack would be removed. Instead, He covered Peter’s faith. Because Jesus prayed, although Peter stumbled, his faith endured. Remember, Peter denied Jesus three times, just as Yeshua had said he would. I believe that every failure is a form of divine direction—a light from God guiding us and revealing who we truly are and how we are to move forward. Peter was so sure he would never fail God—until the test came. The test uncovered what Peter could neither see nor know about himself.

It is deeply encouraging to realize that Satan must first ask permission to launch an attack. This reminds me of the conversation Satan had with God about Job. Before he could touch Job, Satan had to seek permission from YHWH. You and I may never know when an attack is coming, but I believe that as we meditate on God’s Word, He equips us for whatever we will face.

Yeshua warned Peter about the impending trial and told him what to do to overcome it: "Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41, CSB). Similarly, we learn that Job was consistently in God’s presence, praying and offering sacrifices, preparing him for the onslaught. We see this in Job’s response to his wife, who said, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" He replied, "You speak as a foolish woman speaks. Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?" Throughout all of this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 2:9-10, CSB)

Scripture assures us: "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13-14, ESV). Satan is our enemy. He hates us. He is here to steal, kill, and destroy. He is the father of lies. Yet we can rest in the truth that as we lean on Yeshua, He is our defense.

Both Peter and Job went through difficult, painful experiences, but Yeshua was with them every step of the way. There are devastating trials we face that we may never fully understand, but we can trust in the One who is always faithful.

When our granddaughter Jayla, who never took one breath on this earth, went to be with the Lord at five months into her development, our family faced an emotional roller coaster beyond words. But through it all, God never left us nor forsook us. He stood by us and carried us through.

"The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one." (Psalm 28:8, NIV)

Key Takeaways:

Prayer is where we are strengthen
Yeshua never leaves us; He is faithful.
Yeshua gives us strength to endure, even when we don’t understand.
We were never meant to walk through these trials on our own.

Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11

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My published books are now available at: Amazon - Life’s Journey Volume 2 by Jacqueline Crooks

Jacqueline Crooks 4/21/25 Jacqueline Crooks 4/21/25