"I never meant for it to go that far"

Temptation.

Sin.

Shame.

Secrecy.

More shame.

Fear of being caught.

Obsession.

Still more shame.

Depression.

Desperation.

Yet more shame.

I NEVER meant for it to go this far.

But satan did. He meant for it to go this far from the moment we were born. He hooks us in with just a little bit, a small thing, a tiny compromise. And before we know it, we are in so deep over our heads, it is controlling our lives, our time, our thoughts, sucking the life out of us. Whether it ends with us burning in hell, or our bodies and souls destroyed, he always intended for us to go that far-and further.

Today God showed me a flip side of this painful scenario. He showed me that satan is saying the exact thing about those who God has rescued and delivered out of the very same thing referred to above. Satan NEVER meant for our salvation to go this far! He never meant for us to be delivered from the addiction, the fear, the shame, the defilement, the lies he had enticed us to become slaves to! He intended from the very beginning to kill, steal and destroy us. John 10:10 What a powerful picture to think of him lamenting and wailing because of what we have allowed God to do in our lives!

So at the end of the day, and at the end of my life, satan or me - who will be saying -

"I NEVER meant for it to go this far!"?