“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
“He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?’
“And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ But the serpent said, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:1-8
“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26
Perfection. Lush surroundings, exquisite atmosphere, delectable food, an ongoing feast for every sense. Adam and Eve enjoyed intimate fellowship with their Creator in the Eden He’d personally prepared and pronounced ‘very good.’ While Eve had been warned about the knowledge of evil she would inherit by eating from the only forbidden tree, and the serpent himself acknowledged it, she allowed herself to be smitten by the ‘good’ of its fruit. (Genesis 1:26-31; 3:13)
Focus on the good. Think positively. The world entices with an incessant barrage of ‘goodness’ that’s foreign to God’s best. Danger lurks when the appealing and delicious and enjoyable blind us to what we must avoid. Sin’s sweetness is fleeting, leaving bitter taste and often irreversible consequences and rot. The attractive, crafty devil was condemned to a forever curse. (Genesis 3:14-15)
Because of the enemy’s marketing of all things ungodly, the casual mind might miss the pitfalls in the myriad of good choices offered. Untested in faith and untrained in the truth of the Word, we can fall for counterfeit promises and fall before counterfeit gods. The eye clouded with worldly glitz or fame’s glitter cannot see clearly behind the veneer of shallow success. There is no better way than the Lord’s.
Where are we falling for the devil’s allures? How keenly do we recognize the temptation of ‘good’, and how willing are we to say no to its fleeting pleasures? Where will we choose God’s best today?
Lord, help me never settle for less than Your best and glory.
As the rain and snow 