Craig Clouston

 

He Comes to…Destroy

November 4

The thief comes only to…destroy;

John 10:10

When Mark and Vanessa Rodriguez returned from vacation they weren’t prepared for what they found. Sometime during their absence there’d been a break-in. Their home was trashed. Finding no sign of forced entry, Mark asked Vanessa, “Did you forget to lock the door when we left?”

Vanessa reacted immediately, “What do you mean did ‘I’ forget to lock the door?! You were the last one out…remember?!”

They had gone on this vacation to try and relieve the stress in their marriage, to rekindle the spark that was there when they’d first met. They’d spent hours walking hand in hand on the beach, and shared time alone in the condo…just the two of them.

Alone, away from the demands of the world, they talked and assessed their life. Mark had promised to cut back on his hours at work, and had committed to really listening to Vanessa. She, in turn, promised not to take everything he said as an attack. When the week ended, they knew that the same deep love they’d had for one another still burned inside, but the old patterns had reemerged. In a moment of clarity, Mark saw what was happening, and said, “I’m so sorry, Nessa. It doesn’t matter how it happened. It’s not worth fighting over.” They both realized that reconciliation was going to take a concerted effort.

†

In the same way the Rodriguez home was ransacked, Satan wants to bring ruin to our relationships. There is an unparalleled bitterness that drives him to destroy the things of God. It’s personal because he hates God…and every one of His children, so he tries to undermine our relationships.

Using the wedges of loneliness, mistrust, pride, heartache, entitlement, and many other tools, Satan sets about driving us apart. Over time, we forget how it all started, but, unwilling to give in, we assert our right to hang on to our bitterness and resentment. We hold on to blame, and Satan wins.

Only by bringing our problems to Jesus can we ever hope to find healing and reconciliation. With this critical information, shouldn't we deny Satan the opportunity to destroy our lives?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, I come today asking forgiveness for my stubborn heart. Heal this relationship and make it new. Show me how to surrender my will to You. Amen.”