No Negotiations - The One Year At His Feet Devotional
No Negotiations
Read: John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10
“The devil does not sleep, but seeks our ruin in a thousand ways.”
—Angela Merici
IN WORD Satan is a terrorist. He will try to hijack us from the path God has us on or hold us hostage for an unacceptable ransom that flies in the face of God’s will for us. His mission is to steal our joy, terminate our lives, and degrade our relationship with God, and he’s very aggressive about it. If there’s anything he can do to interrupt our abundant life, he will attempt it.
The believer must resolutely fix his or her gaze on God and His Word and remain unswerving in devotion to Jesus. When we abide in His fellowship, we will be tempted by the enemy to resort to human wisdom rather than godly guidance. For example, a bill may scream to us that we cannot remain in the calling God has given us—it isn’t financially feasible. A relationship may drain us of the energy God gave us to serve Him. Or we may be accused of weaknesses that urge us to deny our usefulness to God. The enemy’s tactics are limitless, but his intention is plain: Get the Christian off track. He wants us to mistrust Jesus and start making decisions based on fear and anxiety.
IN DEED We must always remember Jesus’ mission—giving us abundant life. It may not always be easy or comfortable, but it will be good and founded on His joy. When we are confident in God’s will, and circumstances arise that seem to contradict His will, we must know where they come from and cling to God. If we let circumstances constrain us, Satan will manipulate them indefinitely, stringing us along our whole lives in uncertain, fear-induced steps.
Our faith must fix its gaze on Jesus and not waver. Do not negotiate with the terrorist when he threatens. His tactics will rob us, kill us, and leave us devastated. God’s voice must be the only one we hear. It’s the key to abundant life.
