let the poor man say i am rich

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Over this past month, almost all our earphones in the house have gone missing. We have three pairs of those white iPod earbuds and every time Steve or I get ready to go to the gym, we have to hunt down a pair from someone's iPod, or dig through a drawer to find an old pair. Every time I got ready to walk the dog and listen to a sermon - no earphones. It's annoying.

At least once a week, I pray for God to help me locate them. I check hoodies and backpacks and in our car, and turn up nothing. I blame my boys and go through their rooms. They are nowhere. I ask God to show me where they are, to give me a picture. He does that a lot for me when things are lost. But nothing is happening and we are down to one old pair for all of us.

It's a pretty trivial thing, considering all the other things people lose. I know that. Children, jobs, homes...earphones can't compare. But yesterday morning God reminded me of just how much the enemy wants to take from me - he wants everything. Satan sends demons to harass, but I'm surrounded by angels. Angels are pretty protective. Angels are fellow servants of God. I know I forget sometimes how much they want to cooperate with us, minister to us.

I prayed, "if demons have taken my earphones, I command you to give them back in the name of Jesus. You have to return everything you have stolen from me at His command." Then I go into our study and start to sing, in the Spirit. Just a happy sort of song I'm sure the enemy can't stand. I start looking in all the usual places for the earphones. I walk into the kitchen and open our junk drawer. I open this drawer every day and know pretty much what's in it.

Guess what? Not one pair of earphones, not two pairs of earphones, but three pairs of earphones. All white, all missing, all jumbled together. One has black grease on it. I laugh and thank God.

You do have power and authority in the name of Jesus to take back what the enemy has stolen. Even little things like earphones.

Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Revelation 19:9-10