Currently in my community group we are reading a book about the lies and deception we believe from Satan. The author of the book starts by taking us back to the first lie, the story of Adam and Eve. She speaks about Genesis and how the serpent tempts Eve. We've all heard the story, probably many times. But something stuck out in my mind this time, something I hadn't really paid much attention to in the times I've read this passage in the past. Take a look and see if you can find it.
Genesis 2: 15-17 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Genesis 3:1-3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? ”The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
Did you see it?? Look closely. Satan uses the tactic of planting a seed of doubt in Eve's mind, "Did God really say?" Eve begins to think back on what God said, and as her mind is processing she beings to question whether or not God said what she initially thought He said. She replies to the serpent "You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it." Guess what, God never said that! As I read this passage again I could feel the holy spirit speaking to me about how often I, like Eve, "misinterpret" what God is telling me. How many times, I, like Eve, have justified my own decisions by saying God said something He didn't really say.
Fortunately, God continues to grow me in my walk and the lies I believed in the past or the things I justified in the past are no longer a part of my story but I know this is not an area Satan is going to just bow down to and leave alone. He knows I have an over analytical brain, and he knows I process through things way too much and second guess myself and he uses that area of weakness to cause me to second guess my convictions.
That is not okay. God promises to give us a helper who will convict regarding sin, righteousness and judgement (John 16) and when that helper lays something on our hearts we need to STOP and LISTEN. Don't think about it, don't over analyze it, don't try to figure it out. Just be still. If God is stirring something in your heart He is going to reveal to you in complete clarity, black and white, what He wants you to hear. When we allow room for our own interpretation of the word, we are also allowing room for the father of lies to squirm his way in and begin to deceive us.
Pray that the Lord will help you see in black in white and not gray. Pray that he will take self out of the picture because our human nature will always deceive us. And remember when you get an instinct that you should say/do/believe something. Don't ask yourself "Did God really say" just remember that He did!
Psalm 139:24 - See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
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