Yesterday we talked about Adam and Eve and the evil “serpent”. One of the ‘aha’ moments for me was discovering the serpent didn’t merely wave a good looking piece of fruit in front of Adam and Eve’s noses. Instead he first attacked their view of God.
He manipulated them into focusing on the single restriction of God rather than the all the freedoms. He directed their thoughts to the one tree they were supposed to avoid instead of the forest of trees they could eat from, climb, or even hug if they were so inclined.
He persuaded them to believe God was depriving instead of protecting. (Read Genesis 3 to see how he did it)
By the time the ‘serpent’ was finished talking Adam and Eve’s view of God had gone from a wonderful loving creator and provider to being a restricting and depriving power monger who was holding them back from their true potential. It was at that point they were ready for their bites.
I find I am a child of Adam and Eve and that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.
When I doubt God’s existence, life loses meaning. If I think God is depriving me I live with a sense of bitter entitlement. If I think God’s restrictions are for his benefit or worse his entertainment, God becomes “a mean kid with a magnifying glass” (Bruce Almighty).
If my view of God becomes warped by deception, I forget God’s ever faithful love and his provisions. And life really “bites”.
God invites me (and you) to know Him and experience his love. He desires to help us become the men and women we were created to be. Life can be dark and bitter or it can be a great adventure. Ultimately it depends on who we believe God is.
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