Key Text: Hosea 8:3 KJV - Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

When God saved Israel from Egyptian bondage and captivity, He hedged them in with the cover of protection. However, every time they rejected God and worshipped strange gods, the hedge was broken and their enemies pursued and overpowered them. But whenever they repented and returned to the Lord, he always delivered them. That was a dangerous pattern which no believer should ever imitate. You should never take the grace of God for granted. 

The believer also has a hedge of protection around him and all that belongs to him. This fact is known to the devil, and he is unable to touch the hedged-in believer. It is interesting to note that the devil could not touch Job, until the Lord gave him the permission to afflict Job. The Lord was only showing off Job to Satan to prove that he was His faithful servant. No matter what the Devil throws at you, please do not disappoint God.

Satan cannot take away your salvation, except you let him. Through temptation, he deceives you to trade it in for his gilded toys, thereby breaking the hedge. Keep your salvation intact, refuse to backslide and the serpent cannot bite you. Remember that you are not alone: the Lord is always there, although you may not see or hear him. He helps those who faithfully submit to him, while resisting the Devil. Jesus will never fail you.

Prayer: O Lord, help me to cherish my salvation and to abide in Christ always, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Reflection: ... and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand - John 10:29.