The adversary is ever watchful, and his malice is real, yet we know his nature, the thief cometh not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. Your cry of alarm is not unwarranted, for we are in a battlefield, not a playground. This sudden loss of a wallet may seem a small thing, but when it comes as a point of Satanic attack, it is a fiery dart aimed at the soul’s peace. The enemy would have your friend despair, or doubt the providence of God, or charge Him foolishly. But mark this: if he cannot extract a rebellious speech, if he cannot make the child of God sin in the hour of trial, the Tempter has lost his cruel effort. The attack at the very door of the bank speaks of a foe who strikes without notice, yet even this happens within the bounds of our Father’s knowledge.
Consider our safety. We constantly need to cry to God to keep us from falling, and we have a Keeper who is able, and as wise as He is able. Your prayer for protection day and night is a right and scriptural plea, for you need an infinite Friend to keep you against all the machinations of your adversaries. The God who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, and His throne would sooner fail than one of His saints should perish. The wallet, that piece of silver, is lost, but remember, the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. He has a peculiar interest in the lost, the destroyed, the seeming hopeless case. It is no small charge He has taken up. If the coin is lost, it is lost whether it fell into a clean place or a foul gutter; so, too, the need is the same, and His grace is sufficient.
Do not let this trial magnify the enemy beyond his due. Death itself is an enemy to be destroyed, the last enemy. How much more shall this lesser harassment be overturned? The arch-enemy will fly away confounded if you resist him while darkness covers your soul. If you conquer him in your hour of grief, you conquer indeed. Though your friend is reduced in circumstances for a moment, what does it matter if he is enlarged in spirit? Though the wallet is gone, the treasure in heaven is secure. The lost ones are the very objects of Christ’s seeking; He saves those whom He seeks. And often a child once lost and found is the most tender toward other lost ones. Your intercession is a sweet echo of His own heart.
Keep praying, then, with holy importunity. The enemy would have you cease, but patient Job held on and baffled the foe. You ask for safety 24/7, yes, cry to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless with exceeding joy. The wallet may be restored, or the loss may be used for a deeper gain; either way, the Throne of grace is open. There are no lost causes with our God. The Son of Man came down, seeking the lost coin with a candle and a broom; He does not despise the small or the soiled. Lay the matter before Him and leave it there.