God is our Father, and we are His children. Through Christ we are born as infants into the things of God (John 1:12–13). We begin as children, but we are supposed to grow up. When I think as a child, it is easy for me to get separated from the reality of who I am, what I am, and what God has done for me. You can divide this concept into immaturity and maturity. Immaturity demands that someone take care of me externally, whereas maturity comes into a relationship directly with the Father.

God is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). We love to quote Psalm 23, but remember that the psalmist said, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5).[1] God does not say, “Okay, I’m inviting all my kids to sit down for a quiet family dinner.” Instead, our Father sets this wonderful table before us in the presence of our enemies. Why? Because in our maturity we are able to sit there and eat with Him absolutely unmoved by the presence of our enemies—regardless of what they do or say. You even come to the point where you can love your enemies because you are not challenged; you do not need to be fearful or defend yourself either naturally or spiritually.

In the book of Job, God and satan have a conversation that immediately strikes your mind as strange. God did not have to avoid satan because He was not afraid or intimidated by him; what was there to run from? So “the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job?’” (Job 1:8). You could actually put your name in there and probably be right.

Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Then the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” (Job 1:9–12)

God asked satan, “Have you thought about My servant Job?” And satan responded, “Yeah. I see him all the time. But I can’t get to him. You have hedges around Job that are absolutely protecting him from anything I would do.” That protection is the truth when we are immature infants in Christ. God protects us. The Holy Spirit protects us. Yeshua (Jesus) protects us. They are around us like guardians tending to the children.

So God removed the hedges from Job and satan was brutal against him. In the end Job spoke to God and said, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5). Job beheld the Father and was changed. We can talk a lot about what God has provided for us in Christ, but at some point, we become mature, and our faith is going to stand steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord because His Word is written on our hearts (1 Corinthians 15:58). If you stumble, simply stand up again and say, “God is maturing me, and the Word is being written on my heart.” Let our faith stand!

[1] [1] All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).