Scripture:  The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10 (NLT)

Observation:  The thief. See on v. 1. The shepherd constantly goes in and out among his sheep. The thief visits the flock only on rare occasions and for purely selfish motives, and ruins the flock.

Life. zuo, here used in its theological sense, equivalent to eternal life. When Adam and Eve were created they possessed z, but lost it when they sinned. True, their physical life was extended, but they were no longer conditionally immortal (see on Gen. 2:17). Jesus came to restore the zuo that Adam had forfeited (see on John 8:51).

More abundantly. “Life” includes the physical, intellectual, and spiritual. Physical life is regarded as abundant in a body that is full of vigor and in perfect health. Jesus’ miracles of physical healing gave an abundant physical life to those whose life forces were ebbing. But physical restoration was by no means the complete fulfillment of Jesus’ mission. Man also has intellectual and spiritual life, which must also be made alive and abundant, for “man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3). Important as the physical and the intellectual aspects of a well-rounded life are, no life is fully complete unless the spiritual nature is nurtured. [The Seventh©day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 5. 1980 (F. D. Nichol, Ed.). Review and Herald Publishing Association.]

Application: The thief of which today’s verse speaks, refers directly to the devil who is only interested in taking away from us the hope of eternal life guaranteed by the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.  However, we can also look at what else the devil uses to destroy or relationships and how he does it.

1. He Steals.  If we allow him to, he steals our time when we devote it to financial pursuits instead of devoting time to our personal faith or to our family.  He steals our sense of safety and security when disasters strike which destroy our possessions or when illnesses touch us and threaten to end our life or the life of a loved one.

2. He kills. unless he are intentional about making or keeping our relationship strong he kills it.  Many have found themselves on the halls of divorce court dumbfounded that their relationship had come to an end.  It is as if it all happened with their knowledge or without them being aware it was taking place.

3. He destroys.  With the marriage over, he destroys lives – our own and that of our children.  He destroys the idea of marriage of an ideal estate when others see that even the marriage between believers in God did not survive.  He destroys faith in God who people claim was not able to sustain our marriage together.

Fortunately our situation, as bad as it may be, is not hopeless, because Jesus came with a purpose in mind – that we may life, abundant life, satisfying life.  We need Jesus to bring that satisfaction for our marriage, satisfaction for our life with our spouse that we long for.  Our marriage doesn’t just have to survive; in Jesus it can thrive.

A Prayer You May Say: Father God, may the life of Jesus, and His purpose for coming to earth, be what brings life abundant to our life and to our marriage.

Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.