A week ago I thought Britney Spears was nothing but a skanky ho. There was absolutely NOTHING about her that I really cared about. And it made me angry that our media spent so much time reporting about her chaotic life. From her pantiless shots with gal-pal and fellow lowlife Paris Hilton, her numerous mental breakdowns, frequent rehab visits, and her continually showing herself to be possibly the worst mother on the planet; to her latest ambulance drama, she was a non issue to me. So it floored me when I heard the voice of the Lord during an intercessory prayer meeting tell me to pray for her. I actually wanted to rebuke Satan for what I thought was a false mental message. Why should I pray for someone that I have absolutely zero interest in? Aren’t there homeless Russian children that He wanted me to intercede for? I wanted to pray for someone that really deserved prayer, not someone like Britney. But God taught me an interesting lesson that day, and He did it by prompting me to think about another lady in the Bible that nobody ever really talks about.
If you have been a Christian for any length of time you have read the book of Job. There is no greater story of trial, perseverance, and restoration anywhere in the Bible. You Joseph fans might debate me on that one, but let’s move on. The book begins with a bang. God has a dialogue with Satan and the devil is given free rein to destroy Job’s life. He wastes no time in bringing swift destruction to everything Job holds dear. Everything except the one thing that I thought Satan would go after first: his wife. Why did Satan kill everyone but Job’s wife? And what could that possibly have to do with praying for Britney Spears?
The only thing we really know about Job’s wife is that after his trial began, she said the famous words that makes every man snarl under his breath:
The only thing we really know about Job’s wife is that after his trial began, she said the famous words that makes every man snarl under his breath:
“His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" Job 2:9 (New International Version)
Ouch! That one must have really hurt. Satan is the master of using people for his own gain if they will let him do so. And the fact that he kept Job’s wife alive to speak words of discouragement is a brilliant tactical move on his part. There is nowhere in the book of Job where it says that his wife comforted him. A dog licked his sores. But as for his "better half" there is nowhere where it says that she stayed with him and helped him or cared for his wounds. His three friends at least sat with him and had open dialogue. But not his wife. Granted, she had just lost her children and possessions also. But only one thing could be more discouraging to Job than seeing his beloved wife killed? It would have to be seeing his wife live and verbally cut him down, and then abandon him.
Satan has tried this tactic on many occasions. He spoke through Peter to Jesus, and Jesus rebuked Satan while talking to Peter.
“Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Matthew 16:23 (New International Version)
You will find many times in the Bible where the words of a friend were used as a weapon of attack. And Satan will use and abuse people in this world until he is done with them. Then he will waste them. I know that is not a foreign concept to you. There are probably people coming to your mind right now that fit the bill.
Here is an example from my home town of Arlington, Texas. Does the name Shannon Wilsey ring a bell? Probably not. But she became one of the biggest porn stars in the world under the name Savannah. And when the devil was done with her, he had her kill herself. That is his modus operandi: use them, abuse them, and then waste them. You can probably think about many victims from celebrities to rock stars who have been used and then wasted.So what does all this have to do with Britney Spears? I wonder what would have happened to Shannon Wilsey if people would have interceded for her from their knees before she killed herself. Was her "profession" so reprehensible that comfortable Christians wouldn't even pray for her? Had she gone too far? And I now have no doubt that the God who will leave the 99 and go after the one lost sheep has decided that he loves poor, misguided, lost Britney Spears just as much as He loves both you and I.
Our task dear friends, is to deliver as many as we can from the jaws of the enemy before the death blow is dealt. I challenge you to ask God whom He would like YOU to pray for. Maybe it will be someone you could care less about. It is a hard thing to pray for a pedophile priest, a mass murderer, a wife beater, or some foreign terrorist. But those are exactly the type of people that Jesus came to this world to save. And it is our duty to be salt and light to the most unlikable of people.
“And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.” Jude:22-23
