How are you going to parry the wiles of the devil? He comes as an angel of light, the smooth words of the sneaky snake may come right out of the mouth of a friend.
There she was, walking in the garden, checking on the growth of the herbs, inhaling deeply of the sweet essence of the frangipani flowers, smiling at the twittering of the birds. She was happy and blessed.
And there he was, in the garden, not an unexpected presence but a crafty creature - more crafty than any other living thing that the LORD had created. Eve was not surprised to have a serpent speaking to her. We always picture a slithering snake but it is obvious that Eve was not afraid of him; he wasn't some dragon-ish fiend. Nope. And apparently the serpent had been watching her. He had a plan to destroy her, to steal the honor that her Creator had bestowed upon her, and to make sure she died. Wonder what his motivation was; probably jealousy.
"Is it true that Elohim has said, 'Do not eat of every tree of the garden?'" Boom. The message: how unfair for you, Eve; you deserve better.
"We are to eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohim has said, 'Do not eat of it, nor touch it, lest you die." How many times since has she wished she would have just obeyed the Voice of Truth?
And the serpent said to the woman, "You shall certainly not die. For Elohim knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like Elohim, knowing good and evil." His message: you're missing out, Eve; you could have so much more - you deserve more and God is holding out on you, my dear friend. And with one snap of His finger He could give it all to you - He just doesn't want you to be like Him. I hate to tell you this, but you're just being used, Eve. Look how hard you work in this garden - a garden you didn't even choose - and He has the nerve to hold out on you. He doesn't love you, He is not concerned with your best. He is lying to you, Eve - you're not gonna die. You're going to have to take for yourself because waiting on God is never going to get you what you deserve."
When you take this bait you are leaving an opening for your opponent - you are walking right into his trap. You forget to listen to the LORD's voice and you begin to go after things that He warned you about. This video skit is an excellent representation of God's love for us, how much He wants to bless us if we will but obey Him.... and the enemy's hate for us and his conniving tactics against us to destroy us, to steal our families, and to kill us:
Proverbs 14 tells us: Every wise woman has built her house, But the foolish breaks it down with her hands.
Proverbs 18 tells us: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.
Words - it is the words we listen to and then repeat that are going to either build up or tear down our houses. From God's own heart, He says, "“I have called the heavens and the earth as witnesses today against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore you shall choose life, so that you live, both you and your seed, to love Yahweh your Elohim, to obey His voice, and to cling to Him – for He is your life and the length of your days – " It is the Heavenly Father's desire that you choose life.
In my own life I have listened to the wrong words so many times. And I have repented of the sins I subsequently committed by listening to the wrong voice. If the wrong voice is whispering in your ear, shut it off, don't listen, and ask your Heavenly Father for direction. He will tell you to turn left or right and He has promised you life more abundantly.
Your job is to be wise as a serpent, gentle as a dove, and defend your family against the tactics of the enemy. Then you will be worth more than rubies, then your children will arise and call you blessed.
God bless us and keep us and make Your face shine upon us - keep us from falling for the tricks the enemy is using to destroy our homes and families.
As a wife, your job is to have your husband's back and as a mother your job is to raise your children to honor God.
If you have time while folding the laundry or cleaning the house or starting the family dinner, Dr. Frank Seekins has a precious message for becoming the Proverbs 31 warrior woman God created you to be:
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