“Yea, Hath God Said?” - The Serpent, Gen 3:1
Before man could fall, the serpent had to call into question God's Word. God’s Word has always been the cure to the serpent of sin. Adam and Eve’s only response should have been:
“Yea, God hath said.” And then they should have walked away from the treacherous, insidious thief of man.
Alas, they did not—and alas, many of us to this day still have not. Yes, even in this hour, in the age of redemption and grace, we still allow bondage to grip us with the same faithless and doubt filled question:
“Hath God said?”
The serpent will use circumstances, people, and anything and everything to get you to question the Word of God. His chief tactic is to convince you that He (God) doesn’t exist, doesn’t care, or is mysterious and unknowable.
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Heb 11:6)
He will always root his arguments in the natural, he will try to convince you to do the same and live by what your five senses tell you, which is a faithless existence.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18
Faith is eternal. It is the proof of that eternal. It is unseen. It is everlasting. When your trust is rooted in the natural it isn’t faith.
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” Heb 11:1
THIS is Faith! This is what Satan wants to separate you from. When this faith is present, and when your trust is rooted in God, then though the waves and wind rage, though you watched two people die from the heat(Dan.3:16-30), though there be a giant before you(1Sam.17)—you will walk on water, meet Jesus in the fire, and slay the giant.
Satan will use everything in his power for you to ground you in the natural. He will devalue the Word; spread stories of people who are well-known that died. He’ll spread misinformation; he’ll lie to your face. He will do whatever he can to get you to either cast your confidence in God away or misplace it onto something in this world.
“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” Heb. 10:35-36
It is not the economy, your family, that rich person you know, your job, your doctor, your lawyer, or whoever else you may be tempted to place your hope upon. God alone is your salvation. He is the one who will rescue you. He may use said people to do it. But if every person fails you—if they all come up empty—when your faith is in God, you remain steady, unmoved, at peace, and full of joy. So what if they fail, whatever the consequences, God is bigger.
Don’t let Satan separate you from your faith. Don’t live a roller coaster lifestyle. From one emergency to the next, from one crisis to another, placing your confidence, security, and trust in the temporary means of this world. Place it in the eternal. Place it on God.
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24
Jesus is waxing eloquently here trying to tickle His disciples’ ears. He’s speaking with emphatic truth. If you will root your faith in God, instead of this world, then from now until you cross over to be with Him, you will never once have need for fear again. Don’t misunderstand, Satan will still come around:
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
And he brings with him symptoms that threaten a lethal conclusion—when he comes after your job and you stand on the precipice of financial and physical ruin with your beautiful family looking at you with fear in their eyes. Yet, even in the day of evil, you hadn’t any need for fear, and you know exactly what to do. Here are your marching orders:
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then,” Ephesians 6:13-14a
God is Faithful. When you stand, and you are looking to Him with your faith, He will deliver you.
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” Thes. 3:3
So, recognize and root out any area in your heart that has been depending on things other than your God. Even though adam and eve failed, when the serpent came asking his insidious question, Jesus did not. When satan came to tempt Him in the same way adam and eve was tempted, we all know His famous response... "It is written"...(Mat.4:4)
So next time your situation tempts your thoughts tend towards fear instead of faith quote the scripture that has been written about it, and remind that foul serpent what God hath said, and then be at peace and of good cheer because:
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." - Jesus (John16:33)
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