1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
— Genesis 3;1-6
There are many powerful truths embedded in these six familiar verses, as well as an important question. When God speaks, either through the Word of God or the Holy Spirit, do you believe Him?
Or, as Eve was that day in the Garden of Eden, are you more susceptible to having your ears pleased than accepting God’s Word as unflinching truth and anchoring it in your heart?
Your fleshly desires must be given to God every day. This walk is a journey and it takes persistence and dedication.
The World will continually try to twist the truth God speaks. Be careful of the influences you allow into your life. Some are out to deceive you, while often well-meaning people attempt to water down the truth to make it more comfortable. Remember, small alterations of the truth are still a lie.
A truth that many don’t want to hear is that the longer you let a a flesh-pleasing lie bounce around in your head, the more likely it is to inflict damage. It may seem harmless at first, but the truth is this — if you keep listening to ‘serpents” you are going to get bit. Beware of Eve’s bearing fruit and snakes that are peddling it.
And, alas, the damage doesn’t just end with us. Eventually we wind up convincing others of the ‘new truth’ that has enlightened us. Like it or not, your actions have an influence on others. It’s not just about you.
This walk through life is absolutely a maze of opportunities — both good and bad. The enemy will present many pits for us to fall in, but the Lord God Almighty always prepares an escape. We just have to trust His love for us more than the influence of others.
Austin Bishop is an ordained Assemblies of God minister. Those wishing to receive his daily devotional/Bible study notes may sign up by texting 601-938-2471 and asking to be added to either the morning or afternoon list.
