her for eighteen years. The apostle Paul also called his affliction, the thorn in his flesh, “a messenger of Satan.” Job 2:4–7. Job offers a combination of the two causes: Satan inflicts the pain, but only after obtaining God’s permission. Proverbs 26:27. This verse, typical of Proverbs, stresses the natural consequences of a person’s actions: follow an evil pattern and you will one day suffer because of it. As I explained in the first chapter, this book came about because of my friendship with Claudia