Adam and Eve

Did God really say . . . ? Genesis 3:1

Did your parents ever say to you, “Because I said so”? As a child I was determined that when I grew up and had children, I would never use that phrase. But as a parent, I found myself at times resorting to that same line of reasoning. It was usually because I had tried to explain the reason behind my decision or rule, but due to my children’s limited understanding and life experience, they didn’t understand. If that is true in parenting, how much more relevant is it in our relationship with the God of the universe?

How could I, as a finite created being, comprehend the reasoning of the infinite Godhead—the Creator of the universe? Elevating our own reasoning gets us in trouble every time. How simple should it be to take God at His Word and then live it out? Yet so often we neglect to seek His counsel and instead we make decisions from our limited vantage point. Jesus said in John 15 that we can do nothing apart from Him (see verse 5). If we would only think this through, we would know that we are not capable of outsmarting God! Each time we disregard His Word we are opening ourselves up to the traps of the Evil One.

Satan schemes against us and his goal is to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10, nasb). But Jesus said He had come to give us life more abundant. God has given us His Word to serve as guardrails in our lives. His Word keeps us from going over the edge and self-destructing. If we obey we will be living as closely as possible to the way God originally intended for us to live. Obedience opens the door to further revelation and understanding of God’s ways. His Word brings life.

Watchman Nee advised, “Satan reasoned with Eve, and Eve, seeing that the tree was good for food, responded with reasoning. She did not listen to God, for she had her reasons. When reason arises, man’s thought falls into a trap. It therefore follows that if we really desire to obey God we must know how the authority of God destroys the strongholds of reason.”[i]

Dear heavenly Father, please reveal through Your Spirit any areas of my life where I am elevating my own reasoning above Your Word. I desire to submit to You and experience the manifest mind of Christ. In the name of my Savior, Jesus, I pray, amen.