Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
The devil’s interesting—and dangerous. He whispers all sorts of things in our ears, and tries to worm his way into our souls. He knows us almost as well as the Lord. He works at our weakest points. He agrees with us that we’re really not good enough, not pretty enough not smart enough. Or he agrees with us that we are the kindest, most beautiful, most intelligent being on the planet. It doesn’t matter to him. It’s all about how he can draw us in.
On the other hand, if we reject him, the devil loses interest. He moves on to someone who’s easier to infect. Oh, sure, he keeps an eye on us, just in case opportunity presents itself. But the more we resist, the easier life becomes for us… and the less he concerns himself with us.
And that is one of the key differences between the devil and God. God always loves us, whether we submit or not, whether we question His wisdom or not. Yes, there is a day of reckoning ahead. But where the devil gets bored with our good behavior, the Lord never gives up on us, even when we are at our worst. He delights in waiting for the moment or moments when we realize we’ve made this life far harder than it has to be. He delights when we throw our cares on Him. He delights when we come to him as trusting children.
