Bible Studies - God's plan for me

Okay, I'm starting to really absorb the word it into my heart. I'm reading everyday and learning new things and getting revelations on an almost daily basis.

One way for me to help get it absorbed into my heart is to write it down also. So, I'm going to start using my blog to write about what the Lord has written on my heart that day.

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.

The word thief comes from the Greek word klepto, which means to steal, a bandit, pickpocket, or thief who is so artful in the way that he steals that his exploits of thievery are nearly undetectable.

Jesus uses this word to let us know the devil is very cunning in the way he steals from people. He knows that if he does it outright, his actions will be recognized; therefore, he steals from people in such a deceptive way that he often accomplishes his evil goal before they even know he has stolen from them.

Just as a kleptomaniac has a persistent, neurotic impulse to steal, the devil can't stop stealing because it is his impulse and very nature to steal.

Not only does the thief come to steal, but Jesus said that he also comes "to kill". At first glance, it appears that this means to kill, as to take someone's life. But the Greek word is thuo, which means to sacrifice. Because Jesus uses this word to describe the work of the thief, He is telling us that if the thief hasn't already walked away with everything that we hold precious and dear, he will then try to convince us that we need to sacrifice or give up everything that he hasn't already taken from us.

The thief cannot bear the fact that you possess any kind of blessing. Therefore, if he is unsuccessful at stealing the good things from your life, he will try to cunningly convince you to give up everything that you possess and love - simply because he doesn't want you to have it.

Then Jesus went on to say that the thief also comes "to destroy". By using this word, we discover that if the thief is unsuccessful in his attempts to steal from you or convince you to sacrifice what you hold dear, he will then try to ruin it, lay it to waste, trash it, devastate it or totally destroy it.

And what would your reaction to this be? My initial reaction in the flesh is to be totally angry or emotionally devestated or with some sort of feeling that is not what God teaches. Remember, God is love! It's all about how you handle it because Satan will always be there attacking you from all sides! God teaches us how to handle such attacks...become of the same mind as Christ. Learn through Christ's teachings. You can either become bitter or better! You have to learn through your mistakes, stumbling blocks or weaknesses to become a much stronger person in Christ! Never be fooled by apparent failures! There is such a thing as successful failures, as long as you have learned what God wants you to glean from it and become a much stronger person, following God's word through your mistakes. And in that way you can find joy in your failures and weaknesses!

And that previous paragraph, ladies and gentlemen, comes from listening to my pastor preach a sermon one Sunday, from a Women of Faith conference that I attended, from listening to my husband as he reads the bible and from my personal reading of the bible. I think it is really powerful that all 4 of them come together like this! It makes for a marvelous meshing of what I've been learning over time!

Jesus went on to say, "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." The words "they might have" are from the Greek tense that means to have and to continually possess eternally. The word "abundantly" is from the Greek word periossos, and it means to be above, beyond what is regular, extraordinary or even exceeding. This is not just abundance, is is super-abundance.

What a comparison! The devil comes to steal, to kill and to destroy, but Jesus comes to give life as we have never known it, eternal life in glorious splendor, in wondrous amazement that we cannot even begin to fathom!

So, now that you know the devil wants to make your life unhappy, wants to wiggle into your personal affairs so that he can walk off with everything you hold precious and dear, and then for you to react in the flesh when dealing with it, what are you going to do about it? I urge you to put on the brakes and stop Satan from wreaking havoc in your life. Jesus will give you the power to resist every attack and to overcome every strategy the devil ever tries to use against you.

Lord, I am so thankful that You are patient with me as I learn to walk in the Holy Spirit and to produce the fruit of the Spirit in my life. I thank you for opening my eyes to the truth. I am so thankful that You came to give me real spiritual eternal life. Forgive me for being too tolerant of Satan's attacks and not recognizing them for what they are. Forgive me for getting in the flesh when dealing with these attacks. Teach me to hate sin! Show me how to say no to ungodliness and to yield my mind and body as instruments of righteousness. After what You have shown me today, I never want to be the same!

I pray this in Jesus' name!