Maintaining Integrity in a Battle Pt.1

I started to do a little study on Integrity in the Bible and God paused me on my first scripture;

Job 2:3 ESV

"And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth a blameless and upright man, who fears the Lord and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason"

Then the Lord started speaking this to me;

God is telling Satan how Job is still a man of integrity after all that he has gone through. Did Job get everything right on the first try? I don't think so. But I think God saw that his heart was directed towards him in all of it. In this battle to be a vessel of Gods light I think it is the very fact God places us in a battle so that are light can shine brighter. I don't think we are to measure the daily weekly or even monthly up and downs but rather the overall picture and direction of the heart. When we choose or maybe not by choice but end up in the darkest places on earth whether it is physical poverty or spiritual poverty or both it is going to be very difficult. When we choose to follow God in those places it becomes in terms of the fleshes desires increasingly difficult yet we receive an inner strength from Gods spirit that will lift us up not matter how many times we fall and give up hope. I believe it is in those places that we become so close to God and we truly begin to learn what his love can do for us. Just like being in love with another person, we long for those enjoyable romantic times, yet is it the most difficult times that can either draw you closer together or drive you further apart depending on if you choose to fight the battle or you choose to be complacent and ignore the battle. To preserve through a battle draws the relationship closer so that no wedge can be placed between the relationship and that intimate relationship with God, with a spouse, is the great reward.

To be continued...