Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Believe Jesus’ Promise

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” -- John 10:10

Do you believe in coincidences? I believe coincidences are from God. Like the day my two daily readings both had this Scripture. It was also the same day my Bible study homework had that same Scripture. Coincidence? Nope. God all the way.

Who is the thief in this verse? Satan? Sure, that’s a reasonable answer. Satan certainly desires to take us away from God. But Satan works through others to do his dirty work. We forget that sometimes. We believe the lies that come from others who want to steal our happiness and destroy our faith in God.

Last year I met a young man who already believed he couldn’t do any number of things. He’s in high school. Yeah, he has some challenges but he’s very smart. And he already thinks he’s a failure. How sad is that? Lack of self-esteem means this young man could miss even trying to live the wonderful life God has planned for him.

Disappointment hangs like a cloud over a young woman who was denied a job she really wanted. They told her she was “over-qualified.” They even gave her leads and tips for other jobs. But she’s so depressed. Her hope of a job she’ll enjoy has been destroyed. Satan’s handiwork, no doubt.

A wonderful couple longed for a child. She had suffered cancer and it left serious problems. They endured endless rounds of fertility treatments but the treatments didn’t work. They had the promise of a newborn. They had a photo and permission from the birth mother. Everything was in line -- but they didn’t get the baby. The foster parents did. Devastation led to deep despair and a surrender to God. His will, not theirs. They’re in the process of adopting their fifth child. God’s blessing.

Satan wants to destroy all our dreams. He wants us to lose hope. He wants us to believe we’re stuck wherever it is we don’t want to be. He thrives on leading us astray and stealing our joy.

Jesus is just the opposite. He gave His life so that we could have eternal life. Jesus wants us to succeed. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to fulfill our dreams and the destiny God set out for us.

So don’t let Satan still your dreams. Cling to the hope that is Christ Jesus our Lord. Believe in Him, belief in yourself. You are a child of God. Your possibilities are endless if only you believe.