Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?
Genesis 3:1 (NIV)
Oh, that Devil is a sneaky one, but he’s in a rut with his tactics. From the very beginning, his method was to plant doubt in the mind of man (or woman, as in the case of his encounter with Eve). One by one, we’ve all fallen prey to his attempts.
Elisabeth Elliot wrote in her book Discipline: The Glad Surrender,
If deep in our hearts we suspect that God does not love us and cannot manage our affairs as well as we can, we certainly will not submit to His discipline.
Elliot, Elisabeth, Discipline: The Glad Surrender (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 1982), 37.
Throwing questions at us is so easy because if you’re anything like me, I can’t remember what I ate yesterday. Therefore, to make me reflect and remember something from Scripture proves a surefire way to make me second-guess myself and thus, second-guess God. Eve must have known God had her interest in mind when he provided all the wonders of the garden for her and Adam, and yet, when Satan asked that seemingly innocent question, she let him lead her down the path toward sin.
How can I be in tune with God’s will for my life, how can I follow him, if I doubt his love and sovereignty over my life?
Oh, dear friend, this is why we need to have a constant diet of His Word. If you recall, Satan tried this same trick with someone even closer to God than Eve—Jesus. He knew better than to ask a question, but he did try to get Jesus to want to prove God true. “If you are…” he said, but Jesus was having nothing of it! How did he respond? With Scripture. Attempts to bring doubt were wiped away.
Commit before God today a renewed practice of Bible reading, study, and memorization. Also, ask him to remind you regularly of all the ways he’s worked in your life. Write them down! Be ready because the questions are coming.
Grace and Peace
Thank you! Such practical advice for a problem we all encounter.
Thank you John. I share it because I struggle with it! May our faith disperse all doubt!