The Worthless Trade

• Printable Version - Share on Facebook - Posted by Dion Todd January 2, 2020 - Filed in Devotional - 6,141 views
  He said to the woman, 'Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?' The woman said to the serpent, 'Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' The serpent said to the woman, 'You won't surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' Genesis 3:1 WEB
  
  Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. It was a literal paradise on earth where it had never rained. A mist went up from the earth and watered the plants (Genesis 2:6). There was plenty to eat, and life was very good. They lived a good clean life and never knew shame, guilt, suffering, or lack. They had one commandment to obey: 'Don't eat the fruit from this one tree in the middle of the garden.' Eventually a test came.
  
  The serpent (satan) convinced Eve that the forbidden fruit, the one thing that she could not have, was so desirable. Her life would be so much better, if she could only have this. She was missing out. The more that she thought about it, the more that she wanted it. She drew closer to it, examined it, saw that it was 'a delight to the eyes.' Soon enough, she was eating it. Then she gave some to Adam, and he ate some as well. The serpent was merely fishing, and they took his bait, hook, line, and sinker.
  
  It was a worthless trade. They traded heaven on earth for failure, disappointment, and shame. They lost everything and eventually died where they would have lived forever. They already had every good thing, but the serpent made them feel that God was holding something back, and they desperately needed it.
  
  The enemy tricked them into thinking that the knowledge of evil was something to be desired. They already had the knowledge of good. Thanks to that trade, we now all know about evil as well. There are traps like that setup by the enemy for your life as well. So be careful of the things that you lust for. They are never as good as you think.
  
  Temptation always ends in a worthless trade. It will look good, but turn out bad. We do have a free will and get to make our own choices, but then we reap what we have sown. Do not fall for the enemy's worthless trade. Do not trade your integrity for a short term reward. In the end, you will feel ashamed for having fallen for it, just like Adam and Eve.
  
  Prayer: Heavenly Father I pray that you lead me away from temptation and deliver me from the evil one. Help me to be aware of the tricks of the enemy. Show me the traps that are in my path and help me to avoid them, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.
  
  Note: Ladies, today is Thankful Thursday at the "Ladies in Distress" group (our RHM women's group)! You are welcome to join in our weekly sharing of thankfulness for the Lord's presence and any blessings you may have experienced, big or small! "Ladies in Distress" is a private group, so if you have any problems joining, just post anywhere and we will help you :). Here is the link: Ladies in Distress
  
  
  

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