Tag Archives: The Good Shepherd

Satan – The Thief Who Wants to Steal from You

07 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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Recent statistics has shown that burglaries are fairly common throughout the world. In the United States, it has been reported by sources such as SafeWise.com that burglaries occur every 15 seconds.  Many reports also suggest that most burglary attempts occur via the front door compared to any other entry point.  The goal of every burglar is to gain access to another person’s belongings.  This is so they can obtain what is of value within a person’s residence or even on their person.  To burglarize is to violate a person’s property and personal possessions.  It can leave one devastated should they lose what is of value.

It is very much the same that can occur in our lives regarding our spiritual journey. In John 10:10, there is a scripture which points to the concept of thievery that can occur in all of our lives:

In the first part of verse 10 it says:

(NIV) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;” 

It is important to note that in the first half of John Chapter 10, Jesus is speaking to a group of Pharisees.  In this passage, Jesus mentions that He is the “Good Shepherd” and that He watches over His flock of sheep.  For a full description of this passage, see the previous blog that was written on this topic.  Who are the sheep that Jesus refers to? The sheep represent you and I, which is to say that when we choose to follow Jesus Christ, we are no longer without protection but we have a Good Shepherd to watch over us. In verse 8, Jesus says, (NIV) “All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.”

Those who are characterized as “thieves and robbers” are those who would seek to deceive. Of course, Jesus completes the portion of thievery when He makes the declaration in verse 10.  Who is the thief that Jesus refers to? Why does the thief want to steal, kill, and destroy? First, we must understand who the “thief” is before we can understand his motives.

The thief that Jesus refers to is none other than satan, who is the enemy of our soul.  1 Peter 5:8 says, (NIV) “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Satan desires to steal from us, and he wants to ultimately destroy us.  However, the focus of this post is to highlight the concept of theft. What is it that satan desires to steal from us?

Satan wants to steal our time, our joy, and our very lives.  The reason why is because such possessions among many others are valuable to our existence. For example, the enemy is cunning and often succeeds at stealing the very time that we have.  There are various distractions and vices that he uses to waste our time, which later leads to a life that was not productive.  As a result, regret along with never accomplishing what God designed for us to do and to be, begins to be the testament of the one life that we were given.

Going back to the analogy, what a burglar seeks to accomplish, it is exactly the same as it relates to satan.  He desires to take from who you are, and what you have. There are so many within our world today, that have lost who they were supposed to be in Christ because they allowed satan to steal from them. Any person who lives in a residence will do what they must to protect their home from an intruder. That is because, what is of value is inside the residence.  It is also because the residence is within the occupiers care.

So, this often means that one must lock every door and window in addition to having an alarm.  These are preventive measures to either deter or ward off anyone who seeks to intrude and to steal.  However, as said before, the common burglar is after a person’s valuables.  The most important thing that satan desires to have is you.  Not only is your time and other parts of your life valuable to satan, but you are valuable because you have a purpose that God has given to you.  Your life is filled with many gifts that God has deposited in you to use for His glory.  However, satan wants to steal what God has given to you, and he ultimately wants to destroy you in the process.

In Luke 22:31, Jesus says to His disciple Peter, that satan wants to sift him as wheat. This means that satan’s goal is to ultimately destroy our lives.  This is done through the process of taking or stealing from us which eventually results in a destruction.  So, what can you do to prevent the enemy from stealing what you possess?  The answer lies in your relationship with Christ.

In John 10, Jesus mentions that He is the “Good Shepherd” and that He protects His sheep.  If you are in your sin, and you have not chosen Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are open to being ravaged by the enemy. You don’t have the adequate protection which is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Our world is in chaos because many have chosen to openly rebel against God, leaving them in a state of vulnerability. However, a life that is found in Christ is one that is not only saved from Hell but saved from what the enemy seeks to do in our lives on Earth.

Secondly, once you have received Christ, you must maintain an active lifestyle that is surrendered unto God daily. Even those of us who are in Christ, we must do as 1 Peter 5:8 says, which is to “be sober.” This means that we shouldn’t be distracted with the lies of the world and our own devices. Rather, we are to be in prayer, worship, and studying God’s Word. Consecration means to be separated unto God through the process of sanctification. To be sanctified means to be set apart for God’s use, and to live in Holiness.  It is also important to have accountability partners who are in the faith. They provide encouragement and can pray for you during times of weakness.

The whole point is to understand that satan desires to steal from you and to destroy you. Satan does not care about you as the individual, but he cares about the impact that you can make for God’s Kingdom.  Ultimately, he wants to deface and destroy God’s creation as a way to tear down God’s Kingdom. Daily he is seeking whom he may devour, and he does so by stealing from us. However, when we choose to surrender our lives unto God, the theft is buffered by a God who protects us.

If you don’t know Jesus in the pardon of your sins, you cannot experience the protection that God offers.  Various addictions and self-destructive behavior are a result of a life that is in need of a savior. You cannot save yourself, but you need a savior.  Jesus Christ is the one who can save you from destruction.  Lay down your pride, your devices, and seek Jesus Christ for forgiveness.  In doing so, satan will no longer have the same ability to steal the valuable items that God has deposited into you.

Allowing Jesus to Lead You As the Good Shepherd

29 Friday May 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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ID-100127940In October of 2005, American Idol winner Carrie Underwood released the popular song “Jesus take the wheel.”  It was a song that was played on various radio stations and was downloaded repeatedly.  This Grammy award-winning song received the status of double platinum in the U.S., and was certified as Gold in Canada.  It was a song that provoked the notion that we all need the guidance of Jesus, but we must surrender in order for our lives to find direction. In the chorus of this song the lyrics are as follows:

“Jesus, take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can’t do this on my own”

“I’m letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I’m on
Jesus, take the wheel”

Like this song, the scripture of Psalm 23 which is a familiar passage reminds all of us that we need the guidance of God in our lives. The Bible makes it clear that the Lord is indeed the Good Shepherd over the flock of those who are willing to follow Him.  In the first two verses of Psalm 23 it says in the NIV, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,” The key word in this scripture is “lead.” The Lord is there to lead us and guide us.

If you read further it says in verse 3, “he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” We should look at God as one who will lead us and guide us. Often times we attempt to steer or guide our own lives into a certain direction. Have you ever heard of the phrase, “I am the captain of my own ship?” Those who operate in such a manner are destined for failure, because they are leading themselves without the one who can steer them away from calamity.  

In John 10, Jesus is speaking to Pharisees about the concept of being the Good Shepherd.  In the beginning verses, Jesus gives the example that anyone who tries the enter the sheep pen by any other means is a thief and a robber.  He then goes on to say that the sheep know the voice of the shepherd and they follow, but the voice of a stranger they will not follow. In verse 7 Jesus says, (NIV) “Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.”  In verses 14-15 He says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

What Jesus is saying is, that He is the good shepherd.  He is the one who leads, guides, and protects those who are within His fold.  Our lives have meaning and direction when we are willing to submit to the leadership of Christ.  There are so many voices that are calling out to us, trying to get us to veer off course. However, if you are in Christ and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior, then you will learn to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd through relationship.

Everyday, voices in the world call us with the attempt to get our attention.  From the media, to sources on the internet, to those within our lives.  These are sources that are vying for our attention with the effort to lead and command a following.  The fact is, our world has become built on the element of “following” others.  For example, Twitter has etched the word “follow” in the minds of many which has caused the campaign of “Follow us on Twitter.” This isn’t to say that social networking is a bad thing, however the goal shouldn’t be to follow after the things of this world.

Instead, our lives should be centered around a Holy God who leads us and guides us.  It is God who assists us in avoiding the pitfalls of life. Seeking after the things of this world and following the order set in place, will always lead to confusion and eventual ruin. However, as verse 3 says in Psalm 23, the Lord guides us along the right paths for His name sake.  If we are willing to give up our own way, and acknowledge God and His sovereignty, then He will guide us on His righteous path.

The path of a sin filled life is one of calamity.  There are so many in our society today that are seeking peace and attempting to lead their own lives. However, many do not find peace but they find trouble.  Instead of finding a lack of peace, Psalm 23 verse 2 says that the Lord leads us beside still waters.  This means, God leads us in the way of peace.  To see a body of water that is still is to focus on an entity that is calm or peaceful.

There is one major attribute of the Good Shepherd that we should not overlook and that is, His willingness to find us where we are. In Luke 15 verses 3-7, Jesus is speaking to tax collectors, sinners, and Pharisees when He gives what is called the “Parable of the Lost Sheep.” In this parable He says in verses 4-7:

(NIV) “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” 

This is what the Good Shepherd does for all of us.  He seeks to find us because we are lost in our sin.  While there will be those that remain in their sin and will be lost, God never stops looking for each individual. The invitation to receive salvation and to be welcomed into the fold is open to all.  As the above scripture points out, the Good Shepherd will leave the rest of the flock to go after the one who is lost.

That is how much God loves you and I.  He loved you so much that He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for your sins. It is in that act of love that we have the opportunity to be brought back to God through connection with Christ.  Are you lost and wandering in the ways of this world?  Have you tried every method to achieve peace and stability only to find that nothing works? The best way to find peace and stability is to accept Christ as your savior.  The Good Shepherd, He is waiting for you.