I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid. And he said, who told you you were naked? …….

The woman you put here with me gave me some and I ate it…..

The serpent deceived me and I ate it.

To the serpent: No questions…. just punishment.

Genese 3:10

What I like the most about the bible is that you never cease to learn something new. God spent the time to question and wait for the answers from both Adam and Eve, even though he already knew what happened. He wanted to give them a chance to understand the source of their current situation. However, with the serpent he did not even bother, he went straight to punishments because he already knew who he was. What does that tell us about our own relationship with God and with other people? Where in your life are you spending the most energy and is that area really worth it?

Two new things I learned from this story:

1- Who told you you were naked? In other words, Who had the nerve to counsel the glory out of you? As human beings, we like to rely on experts, professionals, trusted family members and friends to help us sort out our issues. One thing that we fail to remember at times, is that these “trusted sources” might have distorted views about who we are, and because they are not able to foresee the future to understand our true strength and potentials, they counsel us based of the limitations of the current moment/situations. The other aspect of this too is that not all “trusted sources” have our best interest at heart. The serpent was possessed by a spirit who was cast out from heaven, therefore felt jealous of the relationships between men and God.

The serpent is very much alive in our lives and we need holy discernment from God to be able to detect his presence. The devil is not always going to come to you dressing all red with a pitchfork. The devil is smooth and intelligent. The guy was in heaven and he was cast down with all of his power and influence. He came down from heaven with 1/3 of the angels. 1/3 of God’s angels!!! He was defeated and again at the cross, but do not ever underestimate his voice. He will come wrapped and disguised with your innermost desires. Pray to God so that you learn to recognize his voice even among your loved ones. “For we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against all evil spirits…” Next time you hear words of discouragement coming from the mouth of a loved one, recognize the spirit behind it. Most important, never stop praying for clarity, so that God can unveil the secret plan of the devil for your life.

Never get talked out of your potential!!!

2- God did not spend time getting explanations from the serpent because he recognized him for who he was! Where can you save some energy in your life? Are you spending a lot of time trying to convince people of your potential and goodness? Are you spending a lot of energy trying to change your spouse, children and friends instead of praying for them. Believe it or not, the serpent still knows how to manipulate the environment. He lurks around all day waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. Is your home a battleground and you feel exhausted trying to explain to your family what to do to change. Recognize your challenges for what they are and get on your knees to fight the best way to victory. When you fight on your knees you are redirecting your energy for the promised victory.

The serpent understands our weaknesses. He wants just enough time with us until he can convince us that the fruit is good to eat. He wants just enough time with you until he can get you so exhausted that you want a divorce. He wants just enough time with you until you lose your temper and control of your mouth with your children and say something that will scar them for life. He wants just enough time with you. Eve’s mistake was staying just long enough to be convinced. When God came to the garden, he spent time listening to Adam and Eve out of his love and his relationship with them, but with the devil he spent zero second getting explanations! When you pray, ask God to give you awareness of your battle strategy. Maybe, your wife does not need to hear you complain about her habit one more time. Maybe you need to leave her up to God, her creator. Save your energy for the other important things in your life, the areas where you are not limited. Do the things that you can do and leave the rest up to God.

Fight strategically! Pray for clarity and stay alert!

Remember, the serpent is a thief. He is here to steal. If you are worrying about dying, you’re seeing this wrong. He wants to steal everything that is precious to you; your happiness, peace of mind, dignity and leave you alive to savor every bit of misery that he is experiencing right now as an outcast. Don’t just pray blindly and hoping that everything gets resolved. Pray for a strategy for your daily life! Ask God to show you the areas where you need to spend the most time, and the people or areas that you need to listen less.

love and light,

LT.