"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
Depending on where you live and your personal experiences, crime is a constant threat against which we need to be on alert - vigilant. Yet sometimes we are not alert to a more subtle form of attack - one that often goes undetected until its effects begin to be noticed. It is possible to lose something without being aware of it for a period of time.
Consider this warning from Jesus:
"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber...All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 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 10:1, 8-10)
Jesus used the metaphor of sheep resting securely in a sheepfold to warn against the risk of a thief undetected who sneaks in to steal, kill and destroy. We are not sheep, but very much like sheep. Like sheep we need to know our Shepherd's voice if we are to avoid being robbed of the best in life.
Practically, this means we must make a priority of daily discerning the voice of God among all other voices, both in our heads and in the culture that surrounds us, and of cultivating the habit of trusting Him to lead us along the path to safety. Failing to be alert to the reality of various thieves in our lives and taking appropriate precautions to protect ourselves against their schemes will rob us of the joy that comes from the life Jesus promises.
Threats to our spiritual well-being are many: Illness, depression, financial pressures, relationship disruptions, unemployment, resentments... The list could go on and on. Each threat brings its own anxieties. These anxieties are thieves to our vitality. Yet, one thing is certain: The joy of the Lord is our strength. Only the knowledge of the presence and loving care of the Shepherd can shield us from those things that would steal our joy.
As you look forward to what God has in store for you this year, take some time to get reacquainted with the Master's voice because you never know when a thief will appear.
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