#29 The Oldest Trick In the Book

The Book of Genesis Day 29 Ge 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" So here we are, man and woman, man and wife. There is no shame in their lives, no guilt, because up to this point they are without sin. We are not told how long this state lasted. We only know that it changed, and this portion of Scripture tells us how that change took place. Of all the animals in the world, that God had created, the serpent was the most cunning. By “cunning” , we mean that it was sly, smooth, subtle. The physical characteristics of a snake fit the personality of the devil and his mode of operation perfectly. It’s slithering movement on the ground speaks of smoothness and stealth. It is a very clever hunter. It disguises itself well through camouflage. ( 2Co 11:14 “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”) Snakes have clear eyelids giving the impression of constant vigilance. (1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”) Yes, he doesn’t miss a thing, constantly observing our actions and habits, knowing our weak points and exploiting them whenever he can! How appropriate that Satan would choose the serpent to possess in order to accomplish his fiendish work of temptation with Eve. Listen to the first words that he hisses out of his mouth, “Has God indeed said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” With those words, he planted the seed of doubt, that great enemy of faith! This is still one of his most effective weapons against you and I as he seeks to entice us to sin against God or to keep us from stepping out in faith and doing God’s will, or to not trust God’s promises! How often has the word of the Lord come to you while reading Scripture or hearing it preached and you know God is speaking to you! He is telling you to do something, or not do something, or to trust a promise, and you walk away with good intentions, but as time goes by, you get caught up with the affairs of this life, and God’s commands and promises become distant, and suddenly Satan is right there whispering, “Did God really say?” You start to doubt, and waver. Sin follows, or a blessing is missed because you doubted God’s word! That’s why it is so important for you and I to get into the Word of God and let it get into us. We need to learn to act on it when it’s fresh, and we keep it fresh through daily meditation and prayer. When we don’t, that ever open eye of the devil sees it, and it is just a matter of time before he’ll come slithering our way hoping to trap us, entangle us, and squeeze the spiritual life right out of us! Reflect: What comes to your mind when you think of a snake? Have you ever had an encounter with a snake? When the devil tempted Jesus, what was our Lord’s response? (Mt 4:4) Do you presently have a daily time of prayer and meditation? Pray: Father God, forgive us for not spending time with You and Your Word. Help us to store up Your Word in our hearts so that we may not sin against you. Help us to be all we can be as Your children while we learn to trust and obey Your Word. Amen