The Bible tells us the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. The thief (devil) likes nothing more that to steal the joy that comes from working for the Lord.

Last month my son, Nick, and his girlfriend had done some volunteer work for a local church. They had a great time, but when they were finished, both being college students, they had to study. Although studying can steal your joy, this is not what I am referring to.

Later that afternoon, their busy schedules led to some miscommunication, which led to an argument, which then led to an argument between Nick and me. In the end, everything worked out fine and my wife and I had dinner with Nick and his girlfriend. Things seemed back to normal, as we listened to the two of them share stories about their morning at the church.

The next day, I explained to Nick how the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. I told him how I believed the devil was trying to steal his joy from doing God’s work yesterday. The devil attacks when you profess your faith.

I told Nick that I believed God has big plans for him and that he needs to be ready to do battles with the devil. There is nothing Nick likes more than a good fight, as he enrolled for a class on the New Testament at Bradley. Nobody is going to steal his joy.