A Prayer to Recognize Deception before it Leads to Destruction
By: Laura Bailey
Bible Reading:
“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’?” - Genesis 3:1 NIV
Listen or Read Below:
Our Sunday School is going through the book of Genesis verse by verse. While the majority of the class grew up in church and have a solid understanding of Scripture, the slow pace of the study has revealed new truths that we had never noticed in the text. For the last month, we’ve lingered on Genesis chapter 3, discussing questions that arise and unpacking the text.
Where was Adam when the Serpent was talking to Eve?
Was the Serpent an actual snake or something like a snake?
How long was the conversation before Eve ate the apple?
Yes, our small group has been abuzz with questions and ponderings as we study the first few chapters of God’s Word. And while there has been an onslaught of proposed theories to answer questions we don’t have the answers to, one thing has been abundantly clear: how easy it is to slip into sin.
When examining the interaction between the Serpent and Eve (Genesis 3:1-6), here’s what we do know. The serpent we know is Satan, who Scripture describes as crafty, which means he was more intelligent, more cunning, and trickier than any of the creatures God made. If you're like me, when you read texts like this, the questions start coming at you rapidly. Instead of making a statement, he tactfully posed a question, and then added for effect an additional layer of uncertainty. “Did God really say?” and with that, for the first time in Scripture, we see doubting God’s words, and ultimately, God’s authority introduced to Eve.
The interaction between the serpent and Eve continues, “ 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.” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil, (Genesis 3:5).”
Why does Eve respond to a snake in the garden and question God instead of running away? I don’t know, but it's the reason why, centuries later, our natural response to temptation is not to flee but to lean in.
Another thing we see through Eve’s interaction with the serpent is his ability, through the power of suggestion, to alter what God really said, which affects Eve’s remembrance of what God actually said. Looking back in Scripture, God did not say that they couldn't touch the tree; He just said they couldn’t eat from it. With Eve’s inaccurate account of God’s command, the serpent exploits God’s truth by offering a half-truth. Eve is deceived by the father of lies ( John 8:44), and it leads to her ( and the rest of humanity’s) destruction.
Lest we think we would have been able to resist the devil’s seduction, we are just as prone to deception. We, too, convince ourselves that “it’s okay to look,” and then go one step further, “it won’t hurt to touch,” and before we know it, we’ve eaten the forbidden fruit, leaving us to experience the consequences of sin. But in Genesis 3:15, God gives the promise of a Savior, He makes a way for His children to escape eternal damnation for their sin.
Let us not be deceived, our enemy wants nothing more than to kill, steal, and destroy, and lead God’s Children into destruction. But, we can resist the temptation of the evil one, and cling to the One who promises to give us life, and life to the fullest (John 10:10).
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, I come before You and ask that You give me the ability to recognize when I am being deceived. Help me to be soaked in Your Word, to recall Your Truth so that I can quickly spot the lie of the evil one and shut it down with the Truth of Your Word. Lord, when I fall into temptation, I ask for forgiveness. I readily confess that I am weak and need Your strength to fight.
Though I am undeserving, thank You for providing a way for me to escape the eternal consequences of my rebellion against You. I am beyond grateful for the gift of salvation through grace alone and faith alone.
I love you, Lord! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Kenishirotie
She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com
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