Genesis 3:1
The serpent was the craftiest of all
the creatures the Lord God had made. So the serpent came to the woman.
“Really?” he asked. “None of the fruit in the garden? God says you
mustn’t eat any of it?”
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
I saw a cartoon today that
featured four women sitting poolside – cold drinks in hand. The first
one said, “It’s windy today!” The second said, “No, it’s Thursday!”
The third said, “So am I!”, and the fourth said, “Waiter…another round!”
This is what happens when we don’t listen well…or we hear from
the wrong source! When there is a lot of “white noise” – or we are not
fully “dialed in” to the Voice we are trying to hear – the devil takes
full advantage. He says, “Over here! Listen to ME!”
So when God
says, “Don’t judge others,” the devil says, “He didn’t mean those
‘people of Wal-Mart!’ Even GOD would admit that they look ridiculous
and deserved to be ridiculed!” When God says, “That person is my child,
just like you…his/her thoughts and feelings are important to me”…the
devil says, “There’s no way that this person could matter to God as much
as you…he/she is dirty and/or poor…he/she is skinny/fat/ugly, from
another race or ethnicity, practices an alternative lifestyle, and/or
supports candidates and platforms from the ‘other’ party!”
When
God says, “Your body is my temple. You offend me when you overeat,
smoke, drink too much, use drugs recreationally, and participate in
other abuses…” the devil says, “Oh…that’s only if you do these things to
EXCESS! A little won’t hurt anything!” When God says, “I should be
more important to you than anything or anyone else”…the devil tells you,
“God wants you to enjoy your life…He didn’t intend for you to sacrifice
your family and friends, your job, or your belongings! He expects you
to take care of yourself…then give Him what you can!”
When God
tells us “It’s Thursday,” we often hear the devil say, “I’m thirsty”…and
we “order another drink!” We are not hearing from God…we really don’t
even know where He fits into our lives. We have become so distracted by
the “white noise”…and the devil has gladly created this chaos to
confuse us! It’s time to “dial in” to God again…to turn back the noise
and the distractions, and to focus on Him, so that we are always certain
that we hear His voice when He speaks to us.
Our fellowship
with God doesn’t just happen…we have to make the effort to stay
connected…and sometimes, this takes a lot of work on our part. How are
you doing these days? Are you sure you are hearing from God…or has that
crafty ole devil stolen your attention?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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