Did God Really Say?

 Satan is very subtle and very shrewd in how he works against the Lord. He has been that way every since he sinned against God himself by wanting everyone in heaven to worship him instead of God and leading one third of the angels to join with him. We know he is shrewd if he could pull that off with that many angels in the perfect place of heaven. Then, the devil was cast down to the earth, and he approached Eve using the serpent which God had created to do his speaking for him. Notice what Satan said to her through the serpent. He cast doubt on the words of God by saying, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit of any of the trees in the garden?" (Genesis 3:1 NLT) That is still one of Satan choice temptations today. We must guard against him when he tries this with us.

As we begin 2023, and we read God's Word, let me challenge all of us to do one thing. Decide now that you are going to receive and believe every word in the Bible. That is the attitude we need to have in order to grow in the Lord and resist Satan's advances. I am afraid that many people read the Bible, but they have doubts that it is the Word of God from the very start. They read with skepticism, not with faith. They are wondering, "Did God really say this?" If we read the Bible with that attitude, Satan has us right where he wants us. Then, he can feed us half-truths and lies like he fed Eve, and we will fall into sin just like her and Adam. The Bible is God's Word. It does not just "contain" God's Word. He inspired all of it. (II Timothy 3:16-17) Yes, it was written down by men, but God guided them in their writing, so they wrote His Word. People have studied it very hard to try to refute it, and they have failed. Let's just take God at His Word in 2023 and ask Him to teach us what we need to know from it, without doubting. I believe we will be amazed at what we learn and how we are transformed into the likeness of Jesus.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 4-6.