That serpent is a crafty one! He has very subtle ways of casting doubt into our lives. I’m fairly gullible, so it doesn’t take much for me to fall for one of his lies. How about you? That snake can cause doubt to form in a heartbeat!
In the book 40 Verses to Ignite Your Faith, by Laurie Polich Short, she shares her insight on some lesser known verses of the Bible. This book had a powerful impact on me and my small group as we studied it last fall. The first verse she shared is set in the garden of Eden and is one I’ve read many a time. In Genesis 3:3, Eve tells the serpent, “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
You see, the serpent asked Eve a question a few verses earlier—“Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Though quite subtle, the enemy was casting doubt about God into Eve’s mind by highlighting God’s restrictions.
Eve took that and ran with it when she responded by building even more restriction into her response simply by adding a few words. I’ll admit that I read both of these verses when reading the book and didn’t even catch the difference until Laurie pointed it out. I’m gullible AND also not very observant! Did you catch it? Eve inserted the words “or even touch it” in her response. Satan simply asked a question, but carefully crafted his words to get Eve to focus on the restrictions God was placing on her. Can you relate?
I believe I am a frequent victim of Satan’s lies. His mission is to drive a wedge between us and our Heavenly Father. One of his tactics is to get us to doubt the goodness of God. The enemy delights in the opportunity to feed us lies that will cause us to question God’s character. He’s so sneaky that I often don’t even recognize it for what it is—a lie. Remember, I’m not very observant!
What is the opposite of a lie? If you said “the truth” you get a gold star! Truth is the antidote we need to combat the enemy. If that’s our weapon, we’d best get familiar with it!
“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”
John 17:17 NLT
God’s Word is Truth. Jesus is described as the Word in John 1:1. Therefore, Jesus is Truth!
The more we know the Truth, the easier it becomes to recognize those lies. We all need to be armed when we go into battle with the father of lies. As I write this, I can just hear my pastor saying this familiar saying of his: “Read your Bible. Read your Bible. Read your Bible.”
Our relationship with Jesus is the most important relationship we’ll ever have. Relationships require an investment. The best way to get to know Him better is to spend time with Him. Nothing would delight Him more! Jesus is the Word. Happy Reading!