I love reading mysteries, but living them is altogether different. With every twist, turn and cliffhanger our lives feel like the pages from a mystery novel. We experience the suspense of our future, especially when embroiled in troubles. Then like every mystery has a victim, thief and a crime fighter, so do our lives.

Have you been plagued with anxiety, doubt or discouragement?  Has your hope been stolen?  If so, you are the victim of a crime. In our mystery if we are the victim, who is the thief and who is the crime fighter?

THIEF!

Like most mysteries identify the thief by determining who gains, so can we.  Who gains when we feel anxiety, doubt, discouragement or lose our hope?  The devil! He is the thief who gains by stealing our joy, killing our hope and destroying God’s plans for us.

The thief does not come except to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy.
 I, (Jesus), have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly,
John 10:10

How does the thief work?

When troubles darken our door, the thief sneaks in filling our thoughts with the mystery of our future. With every twist, turn and cliffhanger, he focuses us on the possible negative outcomes making us doubt God’s plans for us.

Look at David!
1 Samuel chapters 19-30.

As a teenager, David knew God’s plans. He would be king! (1 Samuel 16:1,12). However, David had a lot of troubles between that revelation and his ascension to the throne, (2 Samuel 2:4). Rather than joyously preparing for kingship, David was forced to flee and hide from King Saul for 8 years!¹

Each day was a mystery bringing twists and turns to David’s future. As David encountered trouble, the thief snuck in filling his thoughts with discouragement, anxiety and doubt.  The thief would gain by stealing David’s joy, killing his hope and destroying God’s plan.

What would David’s story have looked like if the thief had succeeded?

Our troubles may not be as extreme as David’s, but we can struggle with the same thoughts. That’s when we follow David’s lead. Rather than remain a hopeless victim, we become a faith filled crime fighter!

BE A CRIME FIGHTER!

STEP #1. IDENTIFY THE THIEF!

How?
By our thoughts!

Are our thoughts our own, God’s or the thief’s? Analyzing our thoughts is the first clue to identifying the thief.

 Our own thoughts

He, (Jesus), asked his disciples, 
“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; 
others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Matthew 13:b-14 NIV

Thoughts from God

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, 
for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven,
 Matthew 16:15-17

Thoughts from the thief

Then Peter took Him, (Jesus), aside and began to rebuke Him, saying,
“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! 
You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God,
 but the things of men,
 Matthew 16:22-23

Is the source still a mystery?
There are more clues!

Do our thoughts reflect God’s loving character? 
Do they bring God glory? 
Do they align with scripture?

If the answer to these questions is no, the mystery is solved!  The thoughts are not from God! Having a relationship with Jesus and knowing God’s scripture of truth helps us to answer these questions and identify the source.

Step #2. THWART THE THIEF’S PLAN!

How?
Capture and refocus!

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
 itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)

Once we identify the thief’s thoughts, we capture them by refusing to dwell on them.  Then, like David, we refocus!

In many Psalms David voices the thief’s thoughts about his troubles. But as we read, David captures the thief by refocusing his thoughts for faith that God can be victorious over them all.

I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God,
 Psalm 42:9,11 NIV

Our future may be a mystery to us, but it is no mystery to Jesus.

Jesus is aware of every twist, turn and cliffhanger we will face. He has identified the thief and can be victorious over his every move.

BY FAITH IN JESUS,
WE CAN BE A CRIME FIGHTER,
IDENTIFYING, CAPTURING & THWARTING THE THIEF!

REFLECTION

Do you feel like a victim or a crime fighter?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, as I write 2 Corinthians 10:5 and say it aloud, help me to identify thoughts that are not from you. Guide me to refocus strengthening my faith to thwart the thief as a crime fighter. In Jesus name, Amen.

BY FAITH THWART THE THIEF!

Comment!

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*For information on making Jesus Christ your Savior, email me or visit, http://www.peacewithgod.net/

1 biblestudy.org
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Photo lens, Margot Richard