“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you fail to meet the test.” 2 Corinthians 13:5
When I first entered the prison grounds, I took a look around and thought, “Well, this is my life, I may as well make the best of it.” Unfortunately, that mentality got me caught up with the prison life, its chaos, and the nonsense that comes with it. I was being consumed and felt that I was perishing. I was not living.
One day, while flipping through a Study Bible, I read “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” (John 10:10 AMP). I was baffled! What thief? Has a thief been stealing from me? Is this a reference for Satan? If so, how do I get him to stop destroying my life? I wanted to live! I wanted to experience this “life more abundantly” which taught of superabundance, excessive, overflowing, surplus, profuse, above the ordinary. I was spiritually inept, but as I mused over the words, I knew that no area of my life – emotionally, physically, spiritually, or intellectually – fit that description. Something had to change, and I realized Jesus was the key to my transformation.
So often, like sheep, we walk through life naively, not realizing or having a clear understanding that there is a thief who sets out to kill, steal, and destroy our lives. Since we are precious in the eyes of God, this thief wants to keep us blind to the life and freedom we could obtain through Jesus. As with me, simply acknowledging and agreeing with Scripture that there was indeed a thief stealing from me, whose name is Satan, took the blinders off my eyes.
Today, Jesus is my Lord and by submitting to His desires, I have new life more abundantly! No longer does the thief steal from any area of my life, because I’ve found satisfaction with Jesus. Have you? Have you recognized who the thief is? I certainly have! Maybe you’re still asking, “What thief?” My brethren, let us examine every realm of our lives and stop the thief from stealing, killing, and destroying it, by receiving Jesus’ offer of life!
