Who hasn’t witnessed a situation where two or more children are arguing over the belonging of an object? The truth of the matter is, it may not belong to either of them. “I had it first,” one might say. “No, you had the blue one.” On and on. You get the idea. It seems there’s always that one child that digs their heels in and won’t budge. They know whatever it is belongs to them and they’re not stopping until they get it back. Just because someone else tries to lay claim to your stuff does not mean it belongs to them. Just as we’re not happy when someone messes with our property or family, God is certainly not happy when the enemy messes with what belongs to Him. Jesus said, “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 NLT) Let’s talk about this. 

Speaking about Jesus, the Bible says He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him (‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭2-3‬ NLT). Everything! This means us! He is literally our maker. He’s our designer. He’s the reason we move, breathe, love and just live at all! When you care enough to intricately make something, you want it to have your “signature” on it. You want it to reflect something about you. That’s exactly what Jesus did! He made us in His image. Nothing else in all creation is created in His actual image. So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬ NLT). The hardest part of being a person created in the image of God is that we get to make decisions. The reason this is hard is because we don’t always make the right ones. Then there’s trouble. God did not make us robots. The free will program gives us the choice to love. This is fair to us but can be quite dangerous if we choose not to let our loving Creator be part of our lives. There’s safety in choosing God. He protects us and fights our battles for us. Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose (‭Psalms‬ ‭25‬:‭12‬ NIV). He is like a mighty eagle hovering over those who choose Him and clearing their path! This is good news. 

Not only is God pursuing us from the moment we’re born, but we have an adversary that’s pursuing us also. He tries to convince us that we don’t need the Lord. That religious stuff is silly and not for you. First of all, He’s a liar! He’s the ultimate twister of truth trying to keep people from their God-given destinies. He’s been doing it for as long as humans have been created. He wants nothing more than to hurt God by tricking people into thinking that life is fine without Jesus. It is not, my friend. God created this world and it’s not by happenstance. He has a beautiful plan for people that want to follow Him. He went as far as becoming a human being in the flesh and dying for you on a cross to prove it. “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” (‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ NLT) Your maker wants to be in a personal relationship with you. He will pursue you all the days of your life to prove His goodness to you. He just wants to be accepted. 

When we’re finally back with our Creator where we belong, life is so much better. I didn’t say easier! We still have an adversary out there. He can’t have you, but he can certainly mess with you. Life is better because we have the King of Kings fighting for us and protecting us. We have all of His promises that apply to every situation we will ever face in this life. Doing life in your own strength is such a downward spiral. We absolutely do not have what it takes. We weren’t designed that way. Jesus never intended for us to walk without Him!

So, when the enemy comes at you full force, remember the One you serve. He holds you tightly. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand (‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭28-29‬ NLT). The enemy has no jurisdiction over God’s children whatsoever. He will try to convince you of lies by distorting the truth of God’s Word. He will try to lure you into traps he has laid, but all the while, we’re in the safety of the Almighty. God literally looks at the devil and says, “Hands off! That’s Mine!”

Today’s writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband Robby and cat Harold.