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 (NIV)
Have you considered what the devil attempts to steal from you?
Could it be your joy? Your peace?
Does he plant the seeds of doubt in your job,
little nuggets of distrust in your relationships,
or snippets of resentment towards your daily tasks?
Anything to rob you of your joy.
In May last year, about a week before my first book released,
he paralyzed me with fear and self-doubt.
Sure, I wrote a book, but I had no idea
how to navigate the confusing world of publishing.
For two days, the devil robbed me of joy and peace until I rebuked him by calling on the name of Jesus.
Fast forward to this year.
My second Christian romance releases on March 30th.
Already the devil has attempted to rob me of my joy and peace.
Maybe he decided to start earlier because he sensed he would have to work harder. Or maybe he thinks with all the fiery darts he zings at me that I'll give up writing.
Plant a little seed of doubt here, throw in a nightmare about sleeping through a booksigning, and toss in a few fears that I still don't know what I'm doing.
I'm having none of it!
"Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27b (NIV)
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31b (NIV)
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
God promises that He will help me. He doesn't want me to be troubled or afraid. He surely doesn't want me to listen to the devil.
I trust God to vanquish my fears, to help me walk this path that He's set before me and to hold my hand along the way.
He's done it before.
I trust Him to do it again.
What about you?
Is the devil stealing your joy today?
Labels: christian fiction, Christian romance, devotional, fear, inspirational romance, rob, steal your joy