“Some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.” (Matt. 13:4)

I COULDN’T BELIEVE what I was witnessing! My children have been raising chickens for several years, and they are always on the lookout for roaming predators trying to sneak into our chicken coop and snag a chicken leg for dinner. We have a good coop management system, but on this particular day the predator wasn’t coming from the ground; it was coming from the sky! A red-tailed hawk was circling the coop and dive-bombing toward our chickens.

Jesus taught His disciples through the parable of the sower that there are many faith-predators and seed-stealers. The Evil One exists to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. If we are not paying attention or looking out for the deceptions and illusions of our Enemy, then it’s likely that our seed of faith will be snatched away.

The Enemy doesn’t always have to tempt us to do wrong in order to steal our seed of faith; sometimes our Enemy just has to get us busy or distracted. When we are busy, we are less intentional, less focused, and less motivated to protect ourselves from the Evil One. We can never afford to leave our faith unprotected. God’s Archenemy is always up to something. Keep your eyes peeled, and be alert for the deceptive tactics of the Evil One. He wants to snatch away your faith!

Slow down and pay attention to your spiritual life today.

Ed Love serves as the Director of Multiplication for The Wesleyan Church, and is the author of Fear Not (WPH) and Reclaiming Hope (WPH).

© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.