The Boy That Satan Tormented

*Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction inspired by a true story. I do not claim to be able to see how God and Satan interact, this is only my mind telling a story.*

One day, Satan decided to come before God. "Oh, Mighty Lord. I see a boy in your creation. I wish to see how he reacts to my doings," Satan sneers.

God's booming voice responded, "Why do you wish to do so?"

"I wish to try what I did to Job again. You say that this boy will not deny you?"

"I said no such thing. He will deny me."

"Then my victory is complete!" Satan stated with glee.

"I never said that, either," God responded. "Do as you wish to the boy, but on the child himself, DO NOT lay a hand."

Satan slinked away to carry out what he was commanded to do. He went to the boy's room. He followed the boy around hiding in the shadows, watching his every move. He learned the boy's schedule. He learned the boy's faults. He found a crack in the wall around his heart. When the time was right, Satan attacked the wall. He threw bad grades at the boy, he threw late nights at him, he even tossed in a few poisoned friendships. Finally when he felt that victory was his, he entered the wall and brought his minions with him to whisper in the boy's ear. Lies that told the boy that he was worthless, that he wouldn't ever be content, that nobody cared about him, that God had abandoned him. His victory was so close. Then finally, the boy broke. He cursed God. He wished God would leave him alone. He left the social circle and wished that he himself could die. He was sitting in a room by himself when Satan was jumping up and down with glee.

"My victory is almost complete!" Satan screeched. He saw the boy pull out a pocket knife and place the blade on his neck. "Do it!" Satan whispered in his ear. "Nobody wants you here! Go ahead and kill yourself!"

Suddenly an explosion rocked Satan's world. He flew through the air, away from the boy. Angels had taken him away from the boy. Three formed a wall around the boy and one leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Stop. Give it some time." The boy put the blade down and left the room.

Satan glared at the angels and screeched, "That's not fair!"

God's voice boomed through the heavens, "I am not finished with him."

Satan moaned and yelled, "Why!?!"

"For the my Glory, that all that come in come in contact with the boy will know my healing power," God rumbled through the sky. Several days passed with no one speaking to the boy. In that time, the boy began to build a wall of hate and self denial. Finally, God spoke to Jesus. "Show yourself to Nathan. Tell him that We love him. Tell him to come to us again. Tell him that nothing he can do will take our love away from him."

"I will do so," Jesus replied. Sunday night, when the boy had dragged himself to a church service to see if God would speak to him had a surprise when Jesus came to him on the cross. "Why do you hate me? I did this for you. Why do you run? I will only pursue." The boy's walls crumbled. He stood before the Lord, stripped of all defenses, broken. He begged for forgiveness. "I've already given it to you," Jesus replied. "Nathan, We will never abandon you. You are precious in Our sight. We love you very much."

Satan gagged at the sight. "Yuck! I will win this battle, God!" He shouted at the Lord.

God chuckled and it sounded like thunder. "Have you ever read Revelation?" God said to Satan. "That will be one promise you can't keep."