Thursday, November 2, 2023

 

He Comes to…Steal

November 2

The thief comes only to steal…

John 10:10

Sitting in his tree stand for an afternoon bowhunt, the hunter watched as the squirrel scurried from one place to another, looking for acorns. Each time he found a nut the squirrel would place it in his mouth while he dug a hole, then he would bury it with the intention of digging it up when food became scarce during the late-winter months.

For hours, the squirrel diligently hunted and gathered so that he might have food stored against times of need. As sunset approached the squirrel climbed his den tree and settled into his nest for the night, no doubt satisfied with the work he’d accomplished.

As the hunter continued to watch, he noticed an animal slinking along in the gathering darkness. As it drew closer he realized it was an opossum. He watched as the scavenger went from one cache to another, digging up the squirrel’s acorns and eating them. In less than half the time it had taken the squirrel to find and bury the nuts the opossum had found and eaten every one. And then off he plodded…his belly full of someone else’s provisions.

The opossum is a natural-born thief. He, like Satan, steals what rightfully belongs to others. The big difference is Satan knows better, and does it anyway. As a matter of fact, scripture says he looks for opportunities to steal everything we have. He is especially keen on stealing the promises of God.

One example would be when he sends the spirit of confusion to steal God’s word as we read our Bible, attempting to keep us from gaining strength through understanding. In this we must be deliberate, asking God to open the scriptures to us, and then planting it deep in our heart by meditating on what He shows us.

We must be tenacious in hanging on to the things God gives us. Knowing the enemy is coming to steal gives us power. With such knowledge we can take action.

Prayer

“Holy Spirit, Help me remain vigilant. Please alert me when the enemy is attempting to steal something from me so I can be ready to take authority over his actions, in Jesus’ Name. Show me how to derail his attempts. Amen!”

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