We were meant to live a life of peace and prosperity! God blesses those who serve Him faithfully. It is true that you can walk in favor and authority when you obey the Lord. God is all-powerful and when we give our lives to Him, we can have the power to overcome trials that were meant to harm us.
For he who finds Me, finds life and obtains favor from the LORD.
Proverbs 8:35
God created us in His image according to Genesis 1:27. His perfect will was for us to live in harmony with Him and others. When we walk outside of His will, we hurt ourselves. We experience consequences for those actions. Calamities will happen throughout our lives but we can also bring them about from our choices. A momentary indulgence in temptation is not worth the life of trouble we could bring upon ourselves and others.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
The significance of Satan’s lies and the fallout of humanity has become more transparent to me recently. It wasn’t that God doesn’t want us to have knowledge or enjoy our time here on earth. He knew that eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden would open the eyes of humanity to the ultimate “can of worms” that brought temptation, trials, deception, perversion, discord, and feelings of guilt and condemnation. God wants what is best for us and for no harm to come our way.
God let Adam and Eve live in paradise with only one command, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,” Genesis 2:16. Satan enters the picture and tempts Eve causing her to desire to have the knowledge of good and evil that God has.
Eve’s lust for knowledge and her pride led her to give in to temptation and eating the forbidden fruit. Eve then gives Adam the fruit and he eats it as well. Calamity struck and we still see the consequences of that sin today. This is what Satan wanted!
Look around you, what do you see? You see hatred, anger, malicious content, lies, war, murder, adultery, hopelessness, and confusion. Today society says good is evil and evil is good, there is mass confusion and frustration. We accept the truth for lies and lies for truth. The lines of truth are being blurred and Satan is loving it.
Temptation seems intriguing at first but consequences to our actions send us looming in a spiral of ultimate destruction. The perversion is this world is hurting our Heavenly Father who created us to live out righteous and peaceful lives.
If you’re like me, you feel outraged and heartbroken for the world you around you. God has called us to a higher way of thinking and living than the standard set by the world. It’s easy to feel hopeless and powerless.
One day we will meet Jesus and be at peace for eternity. No more suffering, trials, heartache, discord, and perversion. God has placed us here for a reason to live out our lives the way He called us to and bring hope to the hopeless and clarity to confused generations. We are here to show God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and peace to all those we come into contact with. Yet this world is full of trials and pain but take heart because Jesus Christ has overcome the world and brought life everlasting.
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.
1 Timothy 4:11-12
I encourage you to keep up the good fight of faith! Don’t give into temptation and fall prey to the ultimate deception. Be strong in mind and in holy living. Your reward is in Heaven with our Heavenly Father. God will pour out His strength, kindness, forgiveness, and love when you ask. We are more than conquerors through Him but without Him we are lost forever.
A Prayer For You
Lord, we pray for Your strength, wisdom, and love to overflow in our lives during these dark times. Let our light shine even brighter and stronger than ever before! Let Your will be done in and through our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.
