Kelly Day 0:07
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose of the word of God. Today is January 23, and I'm Kelly Day. I serve as Director of Coffee Break Bible study. I'll be reading from Genesis 3, 1 - Satan's first question.
Kelly Day 0:23
The fall of man. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
Kelly Day 0:39
This is the first mention of the serpent in the Bible. He was different from the other wild animals God created. In my Bible, the notes say it was the Great Deceiver - Satan - clothed as a serpent. I found it interesting that there was one word used to describe the serpent: crafty. When I think of the word crafty, I think of someone who is able to make something out of nothing. It can be used in a positive way. But here it is the opposite. The serpent was crafty, and taking something God said for good and twisting it around to make Eve doubt; to doubt the goodness of God. So what did God say? In Genesis chapter 2: 15, we read: the Lord God took the man and put them in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man. "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. For when you eat from it, you will certainly die."
Kelly Day 1:43
Sounds pretty clear to me. God gave Adam and Eve the freedom to enjoy the whole beautiful garden of Eden, with one exception: the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It sounds like they were perfectly content and enjoying life, till the deceiver (Satan) came around and planted seeds of doubt. Does this still happen today? Is the deceiver still going around planting seeds of doubt of God's goodness and faithfulness to his children? I strongly believe he is. So how can we as Christians know the truth of what God says versus lies and deceit? We have some wonderful resources at our disposal. First, the word of God,directly from the bible - study it daily. We can pray to our father in heaven for his wisdom and clarity. And as believers in Christ, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit living in us, prompting us towards the good things God has for us. Praise God!
Kelly Day 2:45
Let's pray. Dear Lord our Father, thank you for today. Thank you for a new day to spend time with you. I pray that you will open our eyes to see you and your truth in our everyday lives. May you protect our hearts and minds from the crafty lies and deceit that Satan throws at us. Let us worship you and your goodness today. In Christ's name alone, Amen.