Scripture tells us that God placed the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve,  in the Garden of Eden and said they could eat fruit from all the trees in the garden except one—the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God warned, “If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die” (Genesis 2:17).

 One day, Eve was walking through the Garden minding her own business—or was she. I say this because for some reason, I tend to picture Eve regularly hanging out near the forbidden Tree and eyeing its fruit long before the serpent came along. Have you ever thought about this? Now, the Bible does not support my theory, but I believe Eve had been eye-balling that fruit for a long time. She was probably gazing at the forbidden fruit and wondering why God said not to eat it. What’s the big deal with this fruit?  

 Have you ever noticed that this is how we get in trouble today? It starts quite innocently. We happen to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people.  Experience has taught me that being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people, quite often leads to bad choices, wrong decisions, and deep trouble.    

 In Eve’s case, Satan conveniently showed up disguised as a serpent. He told Eve she wouldn’t die if she ate the fruit, but rather she’d be like God, knowing good and evil. Eve saw how good the fruit looked and then ate the forbidden fruit. Her husband, Adam, ate it also. How did the serpent convince Eve to disobey God and eat the fruit?  He appealed to her human desire for power, possessions, and pleasure by questioning God’s Word, distorting God’s Word, and misinterpreting God’s Word.   

 Now, you might be thinking that a piece of fruit wouldn’t have tempted you. So, let’s change the scenario. Instead of fruit, it was chocolate! Now, what do you think you would’ve done? Can’t you just hear Satan saying, “Chocolate is good for you. It’s rich in antioxidants which promotes good health. Chocolate prevents depression and gives you that extra burst of energy you need to make it through the day. Come on! You deserve it.”

 When that internal voice in your head serves up bad choices, recognize it for what it is. It’s Satan appealing to your desire for power, possessions, or pleasure. When in doubt, ask yourself, “Does this agree with God’s Word?” –Or ask—“What would Jesus do?” Either way, to make Godly choices, you have to know God’s Word. If you want to more fully understand God’s Word, visit our website at www.bigpictureofthebible.com.

Written by,

Lorna Daniels Nichols

Website: www.bigpictureofthebible.com