Choose Life!

I would have been a "good" Eve. I enjoy snakes...I like to watch them move...observe their tongues flickering...and imagine what it would be like to shed my skin every so often (yes I know that most dust in a house is dead skin).

They fascinate me. Moving so quickly and quietly the snake can slither past you without you ever knowing. I imagine Eve walking through the Garden of Eden...breeze blowing through her hair...toes feeling the lush grass as she walks enjoying the scenery....nothing could be better.

Along comes Seductive Satan...he doesn't slither...I picture him more like a skink at this point. The cute little lizard with that flickering tongue. Eve stands under a beautiful tree...digs her toes in the cool lush grass...and along comes Seductive Satan Skink crawling up that tree and resting on a limb near Eve.

The conversation begins...you know it well...Eve's toes wriggle in the grass as the two converse...Satan looks so sleek...his voice so soothing...the seduction begins...leading Eve away from her principles, faith, and allegiance...

"Did God REALLY say?....You will not surely die....Your eyes will be opened and you will be like God." (Gen. 3:1-5) Crafty isn't he?

The breeze blew tousling Eve's hair...she smiled as she tasted the fruit...it was the best fruit she ever tasted...and so she enticed her husband, Adam into tasting it.

The TRUTH revealed now...They noticed they were naked! So, they made clothes of figs.

They hid from God...as He called for them. Giving into our temptations causes us to hide in shame. We don't want to face our holy Lord. As Adam and Eve, we often start the blame game. "If my friend wouldn't have invited me to that party...I wouldn't have...."...."If my husband hadn't cheated on me, I would never have cheated on him"..."If my kids would have just listened to me the first time, I wouldn't have lost my temper and my 'vocabulary'..." "If my parents weren't alcoholics, I wouldn't have a drinking problem"...If....if...if we would own our sins....life would be much easier to handle.

We hide from God. Sometimes it is because we enjoy the sin too much and don't want to stop. Other times it is because we are so ashamed. We need to realize that we need to do an about face...and when we are ready...God will be there to take us back. We need to become so sick of our sin and see its ugliness that we long for our friendship with our only true friend~God~ and crave being with Him again.

If you are battling a sin...craving God yet also wanting to continue in your lifestyle without Him...take some alone time...talk things out...cry things out with God...repent...do an about face...hold onto God's hand...walk through that lush grass with your Best Friend. It may take some time to make this change...but God is faithful...He will not give up on you. Strike the heel of Satan (v. 15) and be Strong in Jesus. Keep the friendship with Christ fresh and growing. Choose life!