The Garden Lie
Find your way on up this here front porch, friend, an’ let your heart take a deep breath, the kind that settles you down like a little ol’ chipmunk that finally found a stump to sit on after outrunnin’ three blue jays, a nosy raccoon, and one very confused barn goat. We’re ‘bout to slip into the Word together, wanderin’ gentle as two backwoods cousins followin’ a creek bed, splashin’ past minnows, skirtin’ around a dozin’ beaver, and tryin’ not to holler when a grasshopper jumps where it ain’t been invited. Genesis 3:1, where the serpent slithered up with his slick tongue and asked Eve, “'Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?'” That there question was quieter than a sly fox sneakin’ through tall grass, but friend, it carried more trouble than an ol’ hungry bull in a feed room.
The Devil’s always been crafty. He don’t stomp in like a wild hog rootin’ up the yard. No, he tiptoes in real soft, whisperin’ questions that sound harmless, almost polite, like he’s just makin’ conversation. But Scripture tells us plain as day in John 10:10 that ol’ devil comes to steal an’ to kill an’ to destroy. His goal in the garden was to be stealin’ God’s Lordship, kill Adam and Eve’s future, an’ destroy the whole human race. An’ how’d he start that ol’ world shakin’ plan? With one tiny lil’ ol’ seed o’ doubt. “Did God really say that?” It was the spiritual version of a lil’ bitty termite. Small. Quiet. But it was destructive enough to bring the whole house down.
Doubt is where sin starts. Doubt is where rebellion starts. Doubt is where the heart starts wanderin’ like a calf that squeezed through a fence and suddenly can’t remember which pasture it belongs in. Has God really said? Can it really be that bad? Surely God won’t judge me for this one little thing. Surely He understands my situation. Friend, the Devil is a master at makin’ wrong look reasonable and rebellion look harmless.
That’s why Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13 to give attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine. An’ Acts 2:42 says, “The early church continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.” Why? ‘Cause the only way to shut the Devil’s mouth is to know what God actually said. When Jesus was tempted, He didn’t argue. He didn’t negotiate. He didn’t say, “Well, maybe.” He said, “It is written” (Matthew 4:4). And that sho’-nuff’ settled it.
Father, thank You for givin’ us Your Word that cuts through every lie. Help us to love it, read it, and stand on it. Keep our hearts steady when doubt tries to wiggle in. Teach us to answer temptation the way Jesus did. It is written. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now, friend, as you journey off this porch and back into a world where squirrels act like they own the place and armadillos wander ‘round like armored golf balls lookin’ for a purpose, carry this truth with you that God’s Word is real solid. It’s real steady. It’s a whole lot stronger than any whisper the Devil can muster. Let it anchor you when your thoughts start to driftin’. Let it guide you when your feelings get too loud. An’ let it guard you like a faithful ol’ farm dog that sleeps with one eye open an’ one ear up. Walk in what God has said, not in what doubt suggests, and you’ll find your spirit standin’ taller than a towerin’ pine tree after a big ol’ summer rain.
With joy,
Gwen
