But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Luke 12:39-40)
When I was single, I went to Happy Hour with coworkers. None of them were particularly good friends, yet I would still expect them to have my back. After a drink or two, my guard was down. A supposed friend introduced me to a man she knew. I talked to him for awhile, and he seemed nice. He invited me to go out. Since he was a “friend” of a “friend,” I thought it would be okay. I at least had the sense to tell my coworkers I was leaving. It was then someone told me this man had physically hurt another woman when she refused to have sex with him. I was horrified. Why didn’t that “friend” pull me aside earlier and tell me? What if I hadn’t mentioned I was leaving? The enemy dresses in white robes and attacks when we least expect it.
We never know what hour the thief is coming or what he may look like. If we knew, we would never let him in. When we let our guard down, we can believe the enemy’s lies and begin a relationship with him. The enemy will try to lead us down a dark path. If we continue in his lies, we can be unprepared to serve God. When our physical bodies die and we meet Jesus, we want to be prepared. We want Him to address us as “Good and Faithful Servant.”
Father God, Help me discern the enemy when he’s dressed in sheep’s clothing, so I can better serve you. There are times when I let my guard down and the enemy slipped in. Lord, I realize that’s not my fault, and I pray for that wolf in sheep’s clothing to be healed with Your Love and mercy. But there are times when I’ve let the enemy’s appearance gain a stronghold in my life. I’ve asked your forgiveness, and you’ve forgiven me. You’ve promised to forget my forgiven wrongdoings, so you don’t remember, but I do. Help me forget as you have. Thank you for your grace that makes me righteous. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
I think that most people have had a bad experience with someone who is dressed in sheep’s clothing. I have had multiple experiences with this type of person. Some people are evil and disguise it very well. Maybe I am wrong in the way I think about this, but I believe it is not my fault that I encountered this type of person and I have done nothing wrong. If I knew the person was evil and went forward with a business relationship, friendship etc then that is different. So, I pray for that person to be healed with God’s love and mercy. I do not pray to be forgiven for letting evil into my life.
Thank you so much for that comment. You are so right! I was writing with my own guilt. It is certainly not my intention to make others feel guilty.
I feel guilt for certain things in my life because in my heart I knew I was making bad choices. I have asked forgiveness but I have a hard time letting it go, even though I know God has forgiven me. Not quite sure I have forgiven myself.
We all feel that way. If you’re not sure if you’ve forgiven yourself or not that means you’re trying. Good job!