"The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made (NLT Gen. 3:1)"
Many of us are aware of the events which took place in the Garden of Eve, which led to the fall of mankind. The serpent which was the shrewdest of all the animals and tempted Eve with desires called "the pride of life".
The first example of the temptation of the pride of life occurs in the Garden of Eden, where Eve was tempted by the serpent to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge and of good and evil. Eve perceived that the fruit was “good for food,” “pleasing to the eye,” and “desirable for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 3:6). She coveted the fruit in three ways. First, it was appealing to her appetite. Which implies as the “lust of the flesh,” the desire for that which satisfies any of the physical needs. The fruit was also pleasing or delightful to the eye, that which we see and desire to own or possess. So, hencwith referring to the “lust of the eyes”. Enticed by these desires, Eve somehow perceived that the fruit would make her wise, giving her a wisdom beyond her own. Part of Satan’s lie was that eating the fruit would make her “like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).
While preparing this writing, I looked up the dictionary meaning of the word "shrewd". For which I found has several definitions such as:
1. Astute or sharp
2. Keen and piercing
3. Artful
4. Archaic or Malicious
5. Obsolete (meaning Bad)
In my quest for word association and synoptic meaning I discover that the word "artful" describes someone as: 1. slyly crafty or cunning; deceitful; tricky: artful schemes. 2.skillful or clever in adapting means to ends; ingenious: an artful choice of metaphors and similes.
Ladies, how many times have you encountered the serpent hanging out in your garden? Come on girls, you know the one! He's handsome and nicely dress. Smelling good and knows the right words to say? In this respect, aren't we just like Eve?
"The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it (NLT Gen: 3:6)"
Many scholars and laymen have pondered Eve's response to Satan. The bigger question has been, Why didn't Eve find it strange that the serpent could speak? In my infinite mind, I believe that Eve was so impressed by the words of the serpent that she didn't realize it was "snake". As with Eve, most of us are still beguiled by the men in our own lives.
We failed to identify his "true" identity, because we are associating love with what is "pleasing to the eyes and the flesh". We spend so much of our time looking at his physical attributes, rather than seeking the wantoness of knowing who and what guides his soul. However with cunningness, craftiness and mastery we allow him to manipulate our heart strings, as he happily watch us eat of the forbidden fruit.
You know him.....the one who can't seem to get a job, let alone keep it. How about the baby daddy? You know the one, you took off the street and moved into your home? You know him ....the one you dressed and fixed up? Now, he treats you less than the woman you realy are?
Ladies, when will begin to take control by ridding ourselves of those pesty "little" varmints we find in our own garden? Most of us, has allowed the serprent to roam around in our gardens much to freely.
We must look through God's mirror (Word of God) and see ourselves as He sees us.
A virtious woman, who's kind, strong, gentle, loving and sincere. A woman who recognizes that she is "gift" given to man by God. A woman who knows she is not just anybody, but she is somebody, in Him whom loves her more than she will ever know.
The time is now! Ladies, we must begin to realize that we were created in His image and in His likeness (Gen. 1:26). You are much bigger on the inside than on the outside. Stop listening to the voice of the serpent, who can only bring forth doubt, fear, lies and destruction. You know the one, who says: "you will never amount to anything" or "ain't no man gonna ever want you". Or maybe, it is the voice of your girlfriend who says: "A half-man is better than no man at all".
These are all the tricks of the enemy to try and rob you of your royalty. He wants to hang around in your garden where he can nuture and bring forth the commonality of things, produced by this natural world: depression, anxiety, fear, lack, pain, insecurities, doubt, anguish, low-self esteem and self-worth, abuse, restlessness, intimidation, affliction and torment.
These things kill the positive seeds planted in your garden, such as: hope, confidence, peace, love, joy, trust and security. It is time to weed out the things in our lives, and stop picking up baggage which is a lot heavier than our own to carry. We must stop basing our self-worth on the actions of men, who don't deserve to hold a conversation with you, in first place.
Further, we need to see ourselves as God see us. We must stop seeing ourselves through the eyes of other people, in which we have accepted the value that they have placed on us. Whereby we end up doing what other people think we ought to do, instead of what God wants us to do.
Therefore, we need to realize that our value and potential was given to us by God and not this world. When you can grasp hold to this knowledge and connect with that very source (GOD), there will no longer be limits on your life. For everything is possible. God has information concerning your true potential which will astound you.
Simon T. Bailey, Author of "Release your Brillance" writes:
"Give up the person you've been and choose to become what God intended you to be. All the tools you need to release your brilliance are within you. What are these tools? These tools are your thoughts, your beliefs and your actions. They are the combination to the vault".
So, again I ask: What serpent is hanging out in your garden, today? What is holding you back from receiving all that God has in store for you? Is it the whispers of an undeserving man? Or, the lying whispers of so-called friends? Is it your need to please and live for others, rather than yourself? Or, is that little darkroom of fear, which create filters that distort the truth and alter our views of reality. Its filters choke our courage and squelch our hope. Leaving us to simply sit back and do nothing, even worse we crawl back into our loathsome selves and hide.
Let today be the very first day of your life. Begin by reading the Word of God and what it says about you. Believe that you are a "special" woman beloved of God, your children, family and friends. Know that in Him and Him alone, will you find your best.
Now go to it girl! Boot the serpent right out of your garden! Live free as God intended for you and me!
Recommended Reading:
Genesis 2:17-25
Genesis 3
Proverbs 31
