The Sneaky Thief
Weekly devotional by Barbara Sanders

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. We have an intrusion of squirrels in our back yard. Don't get me wrong; I love to see the squirrels. We even have three fox squirrels that come to the back yard to feed in the squirrel feeders. But, we also have regular grey squirrels that think any food is their food. Doesn't matter that what the feeder looks like, where it is, or what is trying to keep them out. They manage to maneuver around the baffles and forge right ahead, doing their dirty work. My husband put the bird feeders high on a pole, and as a precaution, put up a wire baffle. He knew, if he didn't, the squirrels would continue to climb the pole and eat the bird feed. Well, some of them have gotten smart and learned how to get around that! And, no matter how many times we scare them away,they keep coming back. They are so brave, they will sit about a foot from the pole, waiting for us to go back in the house, and back up the pole they run. I'm sure they are laughing their heads off at these crazy people, while they are feeding away on all our bird feed! The enemy is like the squirrels. He won't stop at anything, when he is after you! He will keep pushing ahead, inching a little every day, until he is in reach of you. Then, the pressure is on! He will use any method he deems necessary to get you out into sin. Doesn't have to be a big sin, but any sin will do. Then, from there, he works more and more. Can't you hear him sitting on your shoulder, as he 'feeds' you these words - "You call yourself a Christian, and you did 'that'?".....or... "They don't care about you. Why not just get out of that church?" It's his objective to get you on the path of destruction. He doesn't care about you as a person. He's just doing his job, which is to remove you from God's plan for your life. If he can manage that, then he's laughing at you. Is the enemy stealing from you? Has he sneaked into your life without you realizing it? Has he caused you to make a mess of your Christian testimony? Well, it's not too late to come out from under his ways. Reach out and touch God - ask Him to forgive you and help you through the temptations of satan, and to become a more focused Christian. He is here to help you through all your troubles and trials and temptations. Remember, nobody has been faced with every temptation, except Jesus Christ. And, he bore all your problems on the cross, so go to Him now.

Heavenly Father, some may be laden down with sin in their lives, because satan has tried to take over. Help them erase this problem from their lives, to become an overcomer, a conqueror, and get their spiritual life in order. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.