“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”
– Genesis 3:1 (NIV)
Daily Meditation: Genesis 3, Matthew 4:1-11
Since the beginning of time, the enemy has been twisting God’s words so that they don’t quite mean what he intended. The enemy began working on Eve by asking, “Did God really say…” and then he twisted God’s words until he had deceived her.
Not much has changed. Everywhere you look, what God calls valuable is mocked and ridiculed. Just spend a few minutes watching TV, surfing the internet, or reading the news, and you’ll see how society has twisted God’s design for marriage, sexual purity, parenting, our role as women, truth, and more.
That is no accident. The enemy is still doing what he does best—lying and deceiving. He throws a tiny lie in among the truth, and little by little, the lie gets bigger and starts eating away at the truth.
When you are confronted with lies, turn immediately to scripture. God’s word will cut through the confusing fog of lies that the world throws our way. Eve got it right in her first reply when she said, “God did say…” (vs. 3a). That is now our job, for the truth is the truth, and it is the truth for a reason: because it brings life and sets us free!
“Satan gives Adam an apple and takes away Paradise. Therefore in all temptations
let us consider not what he offers, but what we shall lose.”
– Richard Sibbes
Be fearless: The next time you sense you are being tempted, take a step back for a moment and look at the situation. Can you identify a lie the enemy is trying to get you to believe? If so, acknowledge it and then walk forward, making a commitment to God and to yourself to not believe or act on the lie.
Let’s let 2019 be the year we grow closer to the Lord and become the fearless, strong, and faithful woman we are meant to be in Him! In Be Fearless, Julie Clinton provides a scripturally-sound guide for finding freedom, purpose, joy… and fearlessness. Be Fearless is now available in our store! https://www.aacc.net/product/be-fearless/ Consider working through Be Fearless with another extraordinary woman or group this year.
Julie Clinton, MAd, MBA, is president of Extraordinary Women and host of EWomen conferences all across America. She is the author of several books including A Woman’s Path to Emotional Freedom, 10 Things You Aren’t Telling Him, and Extraordinary Women. She is passionate about seeing women live out their dreams by finding their freedom in Christ. Julie and her husband, Tim, live in Virginia with their children, Megan and Zach.