"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."
(Genesis 3:6-7)
Now why did Eve eat from this specific tree? God clearly gave direction not to eat from it. History has described the fruit as an apple. Obviously, an apple a day from this tree would NOT keep the doctor away! Eating the apple brought sin into the lives of mankind. Before eating the fruit, both Adam and Eve remained free of worry, shame, guilt, sadness, self-doubt and life was good. Then, the devil prowled around, moving in on Eve to entice her to break a rule clearly set by God. She passed this on to her husband, bringing him down with her.
Thanks a lot Eve!
As a result, God brought painful childbirth to women and hardship for finding food to man (see Genesis 3:14-19). Here is a perfect example when the devil masquerades in to steal innocence, cause one to fall and makes sin seem so good. Satan is a liar, thief and bully. So, I guess we should not blame Eve, but the enemy common among mankind, Satan.
"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)
Don't use Eve as a role model. We must stand stronger than her and obey God. Sin comes so fast and sits around every corner. Be ready with the armor God provides. Apart from Him, we are nothing.
So, what is your 'apple'? It could be a beautiful new car, a drink at the local bar, the ex-boyfriend you found on FaceBook, restricting food intake so to look a certain way, saying 'yes' to everyone to please them, etc. The list goes on and is different for each person. The sin looks so good, feels right at the moment and we think it won't hurt anyone. WRONG! Once the flesh loses that temporary comfort, pain and guilt come with a vengeance.
Take it from someone who has learned the hard way and continues to heal hurts from past sins. The temporary feeling is not worth it. God sits and waits with bigger, better plans for you. Keep faith in Him, not falling victim to Satan's trickery. Stomp each trigger with Scripture. Heal each hurt by clothing yourself in Him. Surrender every situation to Him who gives you strength.
You cannot do this alone. I tried for too many years, failing too many times, leaving a trail of destruction. But, guess what? God never gave up on me. He never counted me lost. He does the same for you. Accept Him into your life and allow Him to clean out all the rotten fruit and rest perfectly inside the void. It is then, peace will come.
God, thank you for this day. Thank You for the lessons learned from Eve. Bring strength to me to overcome Satan's schemes and know when he tries to steal my joy. May I spread Your Truths and not my rotten fruit to others I meet daily. I love You.
Keep praying harder than the devil can work.
Sheree Craig
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