“But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Genesis 3:3
I don’t know about you, but questions come to me all the time. In fact, the Holy Spirit teaches me many things by posing questions, especially when I’m meditating on scripture. Asking questions is an excellent method of teaching, and the Holy Spirit is an excellent Teacher!
The enemy, however, is an imitator. When he approached Eve in the garden, he mimicked God’s teaching method by asking Eve a seemingly innocent question;
“Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)
Immediately she began to reason. She “…saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6).
However, Eve was already wise… she listened to God’s wisdom in the cool of the day, every day! She had all the food she needed, and she was surrounded by the most spectacular beauty in creation… It was, after all – paradise! By eating the fruit, she couldn’t have possibly gained anything she didn’t have already. Yet, reasoning convinced her of just the opposite, and she responded to what her reasoning told her instead of God’s Word. When we spend time in the Word of God we become more sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. It’s the same voice as we read in the Gospels, the Book of Psalms, Acts, and letters of the New Testament.
So, next time questions come to you, it might be wise to ask yourself the following questions; Where is this question leading me, into temptation, or into deeper fellowship with God? Does it bring peace or confusion? Is this question designed to cause me to rely on my feelings, or does it increase my faith in God? Does it cause me to waiver, or to stand in the Truth? Jesus said, “My sheep know My voice, and the voice of a stranger they will not follow.” (John 10:5,27)
There is never anything to be gained by acting independently of God, or contrary to God’s Word. When we listen to the Holy Spirit, He will always bring Truth which liberates us. He never leaves us with more questions than answers. He is The Spirit of Truth! A good daily confession is this: I know the voice of the Good Shepherd. I hear His voice. He leads me and I follow Him.
With Love,
Pastor Tom
Kingdom Business is Eternal, as are the rewards that come from God. If this ministry has been a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us in prayer, as the Lord leads you, or in financial support. Please visit our website at www.testamentoflove.org to learn more about this ministry! Luke 6:38