"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." John 10:10
I received a gift in the mail not long ago. The problem was that neither the gift nor the note attached included a name to tell me who the gift was from. I read the note and examined the gift, knowing it was from my sister. I knew it was from her because of what the note said. I also knew because of the gift she had given me. It was something that she knew I had been wanting. It didn’t take me long to learn who this gift was from. Why? I know her. I know the kind of gifts she sends and how she writes. The gift she gave was consistent with her character and her gift-giving habit. You probably have people in your lives who you would know their gifts without a name, too. The truth is we give gifts that are consistent with our character. The same is true with God. He gives gifts consistent with His character, and so does the enemy, Satan.
Jesus explained it this way in John 10:10: “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” There is a lot to unpack here in such a short verse. What stands out to me the most is the contrast between the thief, which represents Satan, and the things of Satan, including demons and Christ. The enemy clearly represents destruction and chaos. Anything that steals, kills, and destroys is from Satan and his demons. Because the enemy steals, kills, and destroys, anything that steals, kills, and destroys in this world is from the enemy. The gifts point to the giver of those gifts. Jesus, on the other hand, brings life. Because of this, anything that is joyous and life-giving is from Jesus because it points to the life that He brings. We can be sure of this: the enemy brings destruction, but Jesus brings life.
Maybe today you are struggling because of all of the difficulties that have come your way that you know are from the enemy. I urge you, friend, to turn to Jesus. He is the one true source of light. He can bring light out of even the darkest times. After all, even the smallest glimmer of light breaks through the darkness.
Memorize John 10:10. Let this verse remind you that the things that steal, kill, and destroy are from our enemy and that things that bring life are from our Heavenly Father. Then, thank Him for the gifts that He has given you regularly.
John 10:1-10 (NLT)
"I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice."
6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn't understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."
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