Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Last Thursday I had a strange experience. In one of the chain stores I visited, the personnel was busy unpacking the specials for Black Friday. The shop was filled with people.

Already in the isle to the till, a few meters in front of me a man started to whistle very loudly, Eye of the Tiger. At first I thought the man was just a jolly buyer. However, as he walked past the packets of chips, he took off one by one, popping them and then sprinkled the chips all over the floor. Hereafter he took a cold drink from the fridge, opened it up and started to drink it. One of the cashiers must have pushed the panic button, because when the whistling man reached the till, two managers came rushing towards them. They reprimanded him. The whistling man got upset and threw the remaining cold drink all over the managers. One of them got hold of his collar. The security staff, who guarded the entrance, came rushing towards the managers to help. Everyone's eyes were on the whistling man. It was like a scène from a movie.

Only later, it was discovered that the whistling man worked with a team of people. His role was merely to create a diversion while his friends robbed the shop. When the managers and security staff left their posts, the whistling man’s friends slipped undetected out the front door.

This incident made me think of the words in 1 Peter 5: 8: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." In 2 Corinthians 11:14 we read that Satan concealed himself as an angel of light. And in Ephesians 4:26-27 we read:  ^“And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”

The enemy wants to take our focus from God. If he succeeds, he is able to attack us on various other areas of our lives. The enemy uses negative thoughts, hurting words, offense, conflict, an unforgiving heart, bitterness and fear to get that foothold. As long as we believe we have the right to repay evil with evil, the less we will trust God to fight for us. The more we allow fear of what might happen to us or our loved ones to control us, the less we will put our faith in God, the Almighty Creator, to protect us.

What do you focus on today? Do you trust God, the Righteous Judge, to be the final judge in your life, or do you constantly think of ways to repay evil with evil? And do you trust God, our Protector, to keep you safe or have you allowed fear to control you? Remember, to those who seek the kingdom of God first, everything will be added. God bless.

Father God, thank you for being my Almighty Father. Please help me to put my faith in You, knowing that You have the final say in every matter. Also help me to no longer allow fear to overwhelm me but to have faith that You are my Protector. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Feedback: Share your testimony of God’s grace or tell me what fears you are struggling with at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I look forward to hearing from you. Benescke