Inside Lucifer's War Read Online Free Page B

a foreman position because a coworker lied and took credit for dad’s work. They had a discussion in my school parking lot. Dad had come to pick me up after baseball practice. The other man had come to pick up his son, who was also my age. I remember sitting in the back of the car and watching the whole thing. I had known what had happened at dad’s work, and I was waiting for this moment. Dad was a big man, and he could be very intimidating if you didn’t know him. He approached Bob Wickerman and said, “Bob, I want to talk with you about that promotion at work.” I could see Mr. Wickerman didn’t want to talk about it, and he turned to walk off. Dad yelled a little louder, “Bob!”
    Mr. Wickerman turned around and pointed his finger at Dad. “I know what you’re going to say, so you can just save it. I deserved that promotion as much as anyone. I may have taken more credit than I deserved for the Shatson project, but others had done the same thing to me. It was my turn, David! It was my turn! I’m sorry it came at your expense, but sometimes that’s how it has to be. I never meant to hurt you.”
    Here it was! Dad was going to let him have it. Mr. Wickerman was a short, slim man, and there was no doubt that Dad could put him in a hospital. And I was going to get to see all of it, and the next day, I was going to walk proudly by Mr. Wickerman’s son, and he would be ashamed to even look at me.
    But that’s not what happened. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Dad reached out his hand.
    “Congratulations, Bob. I wanted to let you know that I do wish you had gotten the job under different circumstances, but there are no hard feelings on my part. I will do everything I can to support you. You know my work and you know my ethics. If I work for you, I’ll give you everything I have, and I hope you will treat me fairly. Congratulations. I’ll pray for your success.
    I was sick. How could he let that snake get away with it? In my eyes, Dad was a coward. I’ll pray for your success. That was the lamest thing I had ever heard. I couldn’t hold my tongue when Dad got into the car.
    “How could you do that, Dad? That man stole your job, your promotion, and your money. Don’t let him get away with it! Don’t you care about your family? your reputation? Are you scared of him?”
    He smiled at me and recited the verse, “If someone strikes you on one cheek . . . ” He then said, “Son, what he did was wrong, and he knows that. I need to show him by example of what God intended for all of us. Hate in response to deception will only breed more evil. Today, I pleased the One who matters. Someday you will understand. Every one of us has a master to serve. I refuse to let money be my master. The question is, who will be your master?”
    “You’re right. I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you can let people walk all over you. You embarrassed me. I won’t be that way. I will fight for what is mine, and I will repay evil for evil if I have to. You use God as an excuse not to stand up for what’s right,” I told him with all the gumption of a raging teenager.
    Lucifer interrupts my thoughts: “Dwell on it no longer. Do not spend another thought on those ratty women. They don’t deserve pity or love. Besides, God has put temptations in front of you that any man would have failed. Those women were drawn to you. To your power. To your money. To your fame. If God chose, he never would have tempted you or allowed you to fall prey to them. Time and again he does that to men. Why should you be any stronger than David or Samson?”
    He let that thought linger and then added, “I am here to give you an offer of a lifetime—to create a future you could only dream about. To take all of those qualities God gave you and turn them into blessings. Do not dwell on the past but on the future. You can spend your wretched life consumed by guilt, and you can continue to rot and fail. Or you can follow me and have everything