Ephesians Bible Study

Good morning and happy Saturday. I'm sharing with you a great bible study on the book of Ephesians that I found on a blog "Stone Soup for Five". It's in the side bar. You enter your email and it will be sent to you. This is a FREE study. I have a study book, as well, on the same thing, so I might try and incorporate it into the study. Check out my Facebook page as I also cross post there for bible study and doddling/journaling: Ladies Cafe and Bible Study.

*** I can't seem to get the links to activate, but if you google the stone soup blog, you'll find the bible study. For Facebook, just type in the name of my page.

These are some suggested resources to help you in your reading and understanding of the Book of Ephesians. (They come from the Stone Soup for Five bible study)


Grace to You--John MacArthur
https://www.gty.org/resources/Bible-Introductions/MSB49/Ephesians

Blue Letter Bible--Matthew Henry's Introduction
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Eph/Eph_000.cfm?a=1098001

I am also using some of my resources from my Christian Counseling course as well as a study guide for Ephesians:

• New Believers Compact New Testament (From Live Church)
• Illustrated Bible Survey: An Introduction
• Ephesians by Max Lucado

I hope you all will join me and others in exploring Scripture, growing our faith and a chance to be creative. 

Submission God's Way

I swear, sometimes God's timing comes at the worst times. As I'm driving home, I get a sort of revelation. And this always happens. When I don't have the time to write about it. Well, I'm going to make the time because this is important. And God is prompting me to tell the WHOLE story. Not just pieces.

Let me give you some background so you can better understand where I am coming from. Many years ago, before I met my husband, I was involved with a gentleman who introduced me to a whole different lifestyle. One of Dominance and submission. I was learning about becoming a submissive and all it entailed. At that time, I felt like I had found a part of me that was missing. I am a natural born people-pleaser. I want people to like me. I want to always help. When I was a stay-at-home mom, I was pretty happy. I was doing the "mom thing" and taking care of everything. I wanted my home to be like Martha Stewart! 

So this was not a huge stretch for me. The only drawback was that he lived in New Jersey and I lived in upstate NY. He wouldn't travel to come see me. And I couldn't go down there. (I was married to my first husband at the time and neither of us were faithful to the other at that point. Yes, I know that 2 wrongs don't make a right. By that time our marriage had completely broken down.)

It takes A LOT of discipline to do something like that. We made it work for over two years through text messages and phone calls. At that point in my life, it worked for me and it worked for him. You don't have someone watching you, making sure you're doing everything you are asked to do. You are being held on your honor that you are doing what you are supposed to, that you are living within the rules that your master has set about for you. I thrived with that kind of relationship. I didn't have to think, plan, manage. Nothing. Just to obey and be good. (And if you know me, you know that for me that could be difficult at times!!)

How I had longed to be like the others who were "owned", those who were "slaves" with loving masters. I wanted to work hard so I would earn my "collar". When it all fell apart, so did I. There went my dream of being an owned and collared slave. 

However, after I met my second husband I had to choose...him or the lifestyle. How do you give up part of yourself? But here was this man who was REAL. He was with me night and day. He loved me. Obviously, in the end, I chose my husband. Looking back on that relationship, I believe that God used it as a lesson.

I asked my husband to at least TRY to learn to be a Dominant. He had the personality of one. He had all the traits I was looking for in a new master. So we tried a few times with Dominant/submissive thing, but it always ended in disaster. It ended with me being unhappy and feeling taken advantage of. What were we doing wrong?

We weren't doing anything wrong, it's just not what God had intended. At least not in that form. The bible clearly states that the woman is to be submissive to her husband. (Ephesians 5:22; Colossians 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1-22; and many others.) Aha! There was the answer! It only took me 3 long years of trial and error, of failing miserably, to finally understand what it was that God intended for me to do.

He indeed wanted me to be submissive. But to my husband. In the biblical sense. Oh boy. After all the things my husband and I had been through, I would have to trust him enough to lead me. And trust in the fact that he was being led by God. I'm not big on trust. I've been burned too many times before. It takes a HUGE leap of faith (yes, faith!) to trust someone. When we believe in God, in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, are we not called to trust? It is called faith for a reason. But it's easy to trust God. Not so with people.

Ok, so we're not quite there yet. We are still a work in progress. But it's God's work. He is slowly changing both of us to be His. And that is what's so amazing. Here I was wanting to be owned and loved and wanted and I didn't even realize that I already was all of that and more!

I am owned and loved by the Supreme Master. The Utmost Sir. Jesus Christ. I have been bought and paid for through the blood of Jesus. When He hung on that cross, all had been forgiven. He paid the ultimate price for me. Wow. What a revelation!

My husband and I are in different seasons of our walk of faith. And that's ok. The bible also says that the wife will lead by example. "Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives." (1 Peter 3:1) 

I still have my rules that I must follow. They're in this big book that I take with me. It's called The Bible. There I can find any answer, any rule, any guidance that I may need. With Jesus as my Master, I can't go wrong. He won't lead me into where I don't belong.

Yeah..where I don't belong... Satan tried that on me. He made sure he poked me and prodded me. "See what you are missing?" "See..this is what you wanted..." "You can't be happy unless you have this life." He spent the whole weekend doing that. 

Ohhh.... I am so mad! I'm mad at myself for falling into that trap. The devil always will attack at our weakest points. I've been so stressed out about all our problems that I LET myself be dragged into those thoughts. Going to work today, it got me away from those thoughts. I got back into the swing of things. I did all my devotionals, I read, I prayed. And Jesus rewarded me with this revelation. "See, My child, I have given you all you wanted and more. There are so many other ways to serve. But first you need to learn to serve Me." I can not be submissive to my husband without first submitting to Christ. He will lead me and train me to serve Him. Only then will He permit me to learn to serve my husband. 

And with that, my husband is calling...dinner is done. (He likes to do all the cooking.) So, my friends, I will leave you with this. A little slice of who I once was and who I am becoming. 

Much Love & God Bless.

Rejected or Approved

"Remember: rejection from man doesn't mean rejection from God. He loves us unconditionally.” - Lysa TerKeurst

I was just thinking about this last night. I was telling my husband how I was reworking my blog and read him my first entry. I was so proud of myself. I wanted him to see that I've been paying attention and that I'm learning. But, as usual, it sparked a disagreement over my daughter. This had nothing to do with that. I wanted him to SEE that I'm trying to change myself. But, alas, it blew up in my face.

I sat there fuming, until I realized that wasn't getting me anywhere. Why was I so dependent on what he thought of my accomplishments? Yes, he's my husband. Yes, I value his opinion. But I'm putting the wrong emphasis on whose approval I am seeking. What SHOULD matter is that what I'm doing meets with the approval of Jesus Christ. Am I doing this for MY own glory or am I doing this for His glory?

So much of who we are seems to be rooted in what others think of us. It leads to such destruction and frustration. We forget who our Great Designer is. He made each and every one of us unique with all our own qualities. When we seek others opinion of us, we are, in essence, saying that perhaps God did something wrong with us. We don't meet the approval of others. There's something missing. God doesn't make mistakes. As my husband says "God don't like ugly". Which is why He sees each and every one of us as beautiful, unique creations.

If you have children,  you know that feeling that when your children were born how you looked at them and thought "wow, I created this!" That's how God looks at us! He made us! What a miraculous thing He did!

Try to remember that when you compare yourself with others, it is only going to lead to frustration and dissatisfaction. Remember that the only One you need to please is God. Think about the things you do and ask yourself, would this meet with God's approval? Am I doing this for God's glory or my own? If you are doing things for His approval then you will always be on the right track. Let your life and works glorify our Great Creator. At the end of the day don't forget to thank the Lord for who you are and for creating you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

God Bless.
Linda

Good Morning Girls Devotional Week 8: Our Bodies Tuesday reading

I think this is a touchy subject for all of us. But this is a good reminder that we must treat our bodies well, as God intended.

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own body, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 


S: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own body, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 

O: If our body is a temple, then I am really in trouble! My temple is falling apart! I think this is something we are all guilty of. The chips, soda, unhealthy snack, junk food, fast foods. The list goes on and on. Our temples are in disrepair. 

We have good intentions. We all know we have to excersize more, eat better, and get enough sleep. Yet, we always have an excuse not to do these things. We don't have enough time, we don't have enough money. The list goes on and on. 

God tells us we need to treat our bodies better. He made us and He doesn't want to see us fall apart. We need to make a plan to treat ourselves better. We need to remember why we were created. We need to remember that when we take care of ourselves we are taking care of God's creation.

A: My husband and I are going on a diet. He needs to lose weight because of the swelling in his legs. I just need to lose weight because I have arthritis in my knees and back and all this extra weight isn't helping things any.

It's never easy when you go on a diet. But this is something we both need to do because we HAVE to. God's temple is falling down around our ears! Just like any building that is falling apart, it can be rebuilt and redone to any way we want. So, we'll set some goals and try our best to lose the weight and remember we are doing it for our health and to glorify God.

P: Lord, You have given us our bodies to glorify Your works. We are built in Your image. But sometimes we forget that. Help us to remember that we need to take care of our bodies that You gave us. Our bodies are a reflection of You. Help us to be strong while we renew our bodies and our souls. Fill us with Your love and peace instead of empty calories and empty food. Our food comes from Your word and Your love. Let us strive to be as You wanted us to be. Amen.

Life's Healing Choices. Healing from lifes hurts, hang-ups and habits Step 1

I'm going to add something a little different. For the past two weeks hubby and I have been going to this recovery program at a nearby church. I really enjoyed it. If you can find one in your area, I highly recommend it. It's called Celebrate Recovery. It's not just for alcohol or chemical addictions. It's for any bad thing you may have in your life that you want to be rid of. 

Pastor Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life) guides you through this 8 week program. 

I enjoyed this so much I want to share it here. Also, I came in on the end, so I have 6 weeks of catching up to do. I think it will be beneficial.

**Note: everything here is directly from the study guide. You'll be able to fill in the blanks while watching the video.

 

 

The Beatitudes

"Happy are those who are spiritually poor...Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Happy are the meek...Happy are the pure of heart...Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires...Happy are the merciful...Happy are those who work for peace...Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires."  (Matthew 5:3-10 NIV/TEV)

The root cause of your problem: Trying to ___________________.

HOW WE PLAY GOD

1. We try to control our _______________ by wearing masks, playing games, and hiding the truth about ourselves.

2. We try to control ___________________ by manipulating each other through guilt or shame or praise or even through silence.

3. We try to control our ________________ by saying things like: "I can handle it; it's not really a problem. I don't need any help. I can quit any time."

4. We try to control our _______________ by avoiding it, denying it, escaping it, medicating it, drowning it, or postponing it.

But the first step toward recovery-the first healing choice you have to make-is The Reality Choice, where you realize and accept the fact that you are not God, and you need help from someone much greater than you to overcome your hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

Consequences of Playing God

1. ______________________________________________

We fear that someone will find out who we really are and reject us.

2. ______________________________________________

I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can't. I do what I don't want to---what I hate. I know perfectly well that what I'm doing is wrong....But I can't help myself...It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do those evil things. [Romans 7:15-17 LB]

My dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. [Psalm 32:4-5 LB]

3. _______________________________________________

My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to You and stopped trying to hide them.  

[Psalm 32:4-5 LB] 

4. ______________________________________________

You'll never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up. Then God will show mercy to you. 

[Proverbs 28:13 GNT]

We don't change when we see the light. We change when we feel the heat. God whispers to us in our pleasures, but He shouts to us in our pain. The fact is that if you could solve your problems, you would have done it a long time ago and you wouldn't have them anymore. You can't get fixed until you 'fess up, face your faults, and admit, "I am powerless."

Three Important Facts of Life

1. I am powerless to __________________ my past.

2. I am powerless to _______________ other people.

3. I am powerless to _____________ with my hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

• Good intentions are not enough.
• Willpower is not enough.
• You need another source of power.
• You need God.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. [James 4:5 NIV]

• Grace is the power God gives you to make the changes in your life that He wants you to make. How do you get God's grace? There's only one way. God gives it to the humble. 
• What needs to change in your life? Make the Reality Choice today.

Discovery Questions
1. We all try to play God by attempting to control our image, other people, our problems, and our pain. Why do you feel the need to be in control? List some ways you try to control your image, your problems, your pain, or other people.
_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

2. Read the passage again from Romans 7:15-17. Can you relate to that? Share your experiences with this kind of tension.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

3. The first healing choice is to admit you are powerless to change your past, control other people, and to cope with your problems. Which of these do you struggle with the most?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

4. The Bible says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." [James 4:6 NIV] Why do you think God "opposes the proud"? What does it mean to humble yourself before God?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

5. Where are you in learning to trust God? Share honestly with your group and ask for prayer to grow in this process.
___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

>>Putting It Into Practice
C.S. Lewis said "God whispers to us in our pleasures, but he shouts to us in our pain." That pain can be physical, emotional, relational, or financial. What might God be saying to you through your pain right now? We are all powerless over something. This week, take the first healing choice, and admit to God something you are powerless over.

>>Prayer Direction
Pray for God to give you the willingness and the courage to admit where you are powerless.


(C) 2009 Rick Warren and John Baker
Saddleback Resources
purposedriven.com/recoveryconnections

       
 

Good Morning Girls Devotional Thursday of Week 6

My dear readers, I have gotten so far behind with this bible study. It seems like life has taken over and has a mind of its own. 

Our blessed leader, Marie, has decided to start week 7 this week since all of us are so far behind. I hope to get caught up this weekend. So bear with me while I get caught up.

Read:

Matthew 18:1-6

Common English Bible (CEB)

Greatest in the kingdom

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Then he called a little child over to sit among the disciples, and said, “I assure you that if you don’t turn your lives around and become like this little child, you will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven. Those who humble themselves like this little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and be drowned in the bottom of the lake."

S: Matthew 18:5-6: "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and be drowned in the bottom of the lake."

O: We see Jesus speaking directly to His disciples in these passages. He is telling them that they should take a lesson from the child. He is saying that we should welcome Him as little children do, with humility and a happy heart.

Children see things differently than adults do. They have an innocence about them. They haven't been jaded by life yet. They have the belief that things can be changed. They are humble. 

Jesus is telling us that if we humble ourselves like children and believe as children do, then we will be welcoming Him as do children.

However, if someone causes the children to sin then it would be just as good to drown the person because they have no life in them. This is because a child's innocence also means they are more apt to believe anything they are told. So if you are low enough to fool a child into doing something sinful you may as well just drown yourself. 

A: I can apply this in my own life by trusting in Jesus just like an innocent child. I need to stop doubting. I need to open my eyes and see Jesus guiding me. 

P: Lord Jesus, give me the innocence of a child to trust in You and Your perfect love. Let me not be swayed by the influences of sin that are all around me. I do not want to drown in a sea of sin. I want to rejoice in heaven! I ask this humbly of You, Oh Lord. Amen.  

 

Good Morning Girls Devotional Week 6 Our Children Psalms 78:1-8

Here is our reading for Tuesday, 2/25/14.

Read: Psalms 78:1-8 
A maskil* of Asaph.

My people, hear my teaching;
    listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable;
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,
    and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget his deeds
    but would keep his commands.
They would not be like their ancestors—
    a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
    whose spirits were not faithful to him.

S: Psalms 78:3-4;6-7

things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.
 We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done. 

so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,
    and they in turn would tell their children.
 Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget his deeds
    but would keep his commands. 

O: Again, we are being reminded that what we know of God we are to pass down to all the generations in the hopes that they, too, will keep the commands that God gave us. They are to always remember what God has done, what He will do and what He wants us to do.

A: It is our responsibility as parents to pass down the wisdom of God to our children. I have tried to reinforce this with my children. Unfortunately, once they are grown and have lives of their own it is up to them to pass these things on to their kids. I say unfortunately because with my kids, I don't know if this will happen. But as a soon-to-be grandmother, I hope I may influence my grandsons to keep their faith in God as they grow. And I hope I can keep this up with my children and encourage them to instill this in their children.

P: Lord, I ask Your help to be able to show my children and their children how important it is to keep Your word and for them to teach it to their children. May I have the influence over my grandsons to help them grow up with You in their lives. Amen.  

** Maskil:   (Hebrew: מַשְׂכִּיל‎, plural maskilim) is an identifier for individuals and ideas of the Haskalah movement, the European Jewish enlightenment between the 1770s and 1880s, who sought to reeducate Jews so that they could fit into modern society; they established schools and published works of cultural importance.

Good Morning Girls Week 4: Titus 2:3-5

Titus 2:3-5: "Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God."

S: "Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good."



O: I'm having difficulty with this one tonight. Perhaps it is because I have no experience in this. It would be my understanding that perhaps the elderwomen of the time, the ones who had been married and maybe now are widowed would teach the younger women how to be a good wife and mother. 

Obviously gossiping about others is a big no-no. How easy is it to fall into that trap, though. I'm just as guilty as the next person of that. It's probably just easier to steer clear of gossiping people. And live by the rule "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, then be quiet". Something I need to learn as well.

Heavy drinkers. Hmmm.... Alcohol can be evil. I know, you're probably wondering how.  There's nothing wrong with having a glass of wine with dinner or in a social setting. BUT... start knocking back a few tequilas, Long Island Iced Teas, etc. and look out. We all turn into someone else. Me, I get giggly. But I've also been known to cry hysterically. That's because alcohol can be a depressant. And when you're already depressed, it's not a good mix.

My husband, on the other hand, ohhh..his mouth starts running. And it's not pretty. The sarcasm. The derogatory jokes usually aimed at me. I can't tell you the number of knock-down drag-out fights that had resulted from that. He's not a chronic drunk and it wouldn't be often. But when it he did drink, I really didn't want to be around him.

I believe that's why God tells us it's not a good idea to be heavy drinkers. No good ever came from getting drunk or even just having a "few too many". Look at the number of DWI's that occur as well. How can we expect to be godly people if we are stumbling around filled with alcohol? 

My husband has since quit drinking. And you can't imagine what a relief it is to me to not have to worry about what I'm going to come home to on a Friday after I've been working all day. I would go to work with dread in my heart knowing what I would be coming home to. Was he going to get all mouthy and get in another fight with me? I know each day is a struggle for him when it comes to drinking. Life has not been easy. And for someone who is a recovering alcoholic it would be so easy to drown yourself in a ton of booze to forget about life's problems. Lord knows there were days I wished I could've had a few too many glasses of wine to forget about things. 

But I digress here. The whole point of this passage is that we should do what would be pleasing to God. We should learn from our elders about love and marriage. Look at couples who have been married 50,60 years or more. What could we learn from them? How did they make it work for so long? It's because they learned from THEIR parents and families. Something we don't really have these days. BUT we have our bible and our faith. If we don't have role models, we can find the BEST role model in the bible--Jesus Christ. Or browse through the Old Testament. There are plenty of good role models there. 

If you are fortunate enough to still have your parents or grandparents around and they are still married, talk to them. Find out how they made it work. Learn from them. And spend time in the Word. If you follow that then you're already ahead of the game.

A: I don't have role models for me to follow. My mom has been remarried three times. My grandparents are both deceased. Besides, my grandmothers' advice to me on marriage was that all men cheat. Get a hobby and look the other way. Yup. That was her advice. smh

I have a second chance at getting marriage right. I have to learn from the mistakes that I made in my first marriage. I need to learn from the bible what a good marriage is and how to keep it alive. I read blogs. I pray... A LOT. I know Jesus will help me along the way. I have friends in church. Our pastor and his wife have been married for over 20 years. Obviously they've been doing something right.  I just need to take things a step at a time and learn from my mistakes, learn from Jesus and rely on Him to get us through the tough times. 

P: Father, You have given us the most wonderful examples of how to be good wives and husbands. Your son, our Savior taught us about pure love. How fortunate we are to have those resources at our fingertips. We have to remember that we are an example for our children. It's so easy to just throw in the towel when things get too hard. But it during those times that we need You most. Rather than turning to alcohol or to divorce or any other evil thing that will break down a marriage, we need to run to You. We need to read through Your words to learn, to be guided in the right direction. We trust in You and know You will show us the right thing to do. Amen.

 

Good Morning Girls Week 4 Genesis 3

I am a day behind, so this was Tuesdays reading.

Genesis 3
New International Version (NIV)

The Fall

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’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.  So the Lord God said to the serpent,“Because you have done this,

“Cursed are you above all livestock
    and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
    and you will eat dust
    all the days of your life.
And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”

To the woman he said,

“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
    with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
    and he will rule over you.”

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’

“Cursed is the ground because of you;
    through painful toil you will eat food from it
    all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
    and you will eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
    since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
    and to dust you will return.”

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

S: Genesis 3:6 "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

O: If you're like me, you're sitting there thinking that everything that woman has to suffer through is because of Eve! And I know a fair amount of men who think that women have been deceiving men since Eve deceived Adam and gave him the fruit of the tree they were not supposed to be eating from. Technically, all this is true.

God punished them harshly for their indiscretions. But honestly, I don't think either Adam or Eve did this on purpose. They didn't know enough. BUT, they did know what God's rule was: "You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die." Ok. So what part of that did they not understand? It's like your children. You tell them not to do something and they do it anyway. They want to see what they can and can not get away with. The same can be said for Adam and Eve. Eve didn't see the harm in eating just one little piece of fruit.

This also goes back to my theory of "It seemed like a good idea at the time". The fruit on the tree looked yummy. The serpent made Eve believe that God wasn't really going to punish them for eating from the tree. So what the heck! I'm sure at some point Eve probably said to Adam "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!" 

Deceit never ends well. What seemed like a good idea at the time may very well be something that could result in disastrous consequences. The grass isn't always greener. That apple isn't going to taste any better. And God WILL find a way to call you out on what you did. So why tempt fate? Keep God's rules. I know it won't be easy, but it will be worth it! 

A: I can apply this to my own life. I've been down this road too many times before. I have allowed myself to be deceived too many times and it never ended well. I would rather keep to God's rules and please Him then suffer the consequences.

P: Father, I pray that you help me to stay on the straight and narrow no matter how much better things may seem on the other side. Help me to remember that right now my life may not be a bed of roses, but it's a work in progress. One that You will help build and help to sustain. I will take my strength from You and all You have planned for me. Amen.