If we truly want to follow Jesus Christ, then I assure you, the devil will test us to see of our faith is genuine, and if our love for God is real.

     Jesus warned Simon Peter that Satan was watching him closely.

 He was looking over Simon for any little flaw,

something that the old devil could use against Simon to cause

him to mess up and ultimately fall away from his faith in the Lord.

     And Satan is still doing the same today.

  He's watching me.  He's watching you.  He's waiting for the day when he could launch his attack and make an attempt to shipwreck our faith.

     Really I could just as well put my name in place of Simon Peter's.

  "David, David, the devil desires to trick, trap, and crush you."

     Indeed I do know about Satan's diabolical tricks.  His cruelty and  cunning are unprecedented.

     Satan will stop at nothing in his attempts to discredit and destroy a man.

  Likewise he will find plenty of unwitting (and witting) human beings to assist him in such endeavors.

For there are many who would love nothing better than to smash my spirit and silence my lips.

     Nevertheless, as Jesus prayed for Peter, He does the same

for me and for every Christian.  And when our particular

testings are finished, we are to encourage and strengthen our

brethren while they endure what we had already gone through.

 David Berkowitz

 June 23, 2005

(C) 2005 David Berkowitz