Yes, I know the devil has a sifter. Jesus told Peter one day … “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.” (Luke 22:31) The verb “sift” here means “to shake in a sieve!” And no doubt Satan’s sieve is designed to hurt, to harm God’s children. To agitate us, to create doubt or frustration in our lives. To shake us to the very foundation of our faith!

But if anyone today is in such a sifter, your faith being so tried … I have some good news! Jesus immediately told Peter … “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.”Jesus praying, what Power with God!

His Eye is on us … when we’re being tempted, tried!

But I’ve learned too that God has a sifter! And that one is not to harm our faith … but rather to develop and strengthen us … and likely even “to purify” our lives!

Let me show you.

“For, lo, I (the Lord) will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.”

Wow!

Oh, how Israel has been sifted through the millennia! And according to a literal view of the Old Testament Prophets and of John on Patmos … Israel still has a lot of sifting in her future! (To purify her, to convict her, to bring her to Jesus!)

But God, just as He prayed for Peter … protects that little Nation, promises Israel that she will survive. And not just survive … but not one grain (wheat is sifted, you know) will fall to the ground. In other words, the Nation will be preserved of God!

I think at times God might sift us Christians a bit too.

Never for our harm .. always for our benefit!

Our good and His Glory!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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