Scriptural Foundation:
Genesis 3:1-5 New King James Version (NKJV)
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:13-14 New King James Version (NKJV)
So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
Reflection:
Limbo is a fun game at backyard parties or on the deck of a cruise ships. The object is to bend and contort oneself in such way that clears the level set by the limbo stick. The person that clears the stick at the lowest level is the winner. Pause here Beloveds…to win the game, one must bend and contort themselves to the lowest level to win. Did you know the game of limbo started in the garden of Eden? The Lord said to Adam:
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” – Genesis 2:16-18
God set the standard (the bar or His expectation) for Adam. Adam in turn communicated that to Eve. Yet when questioned, Eve modified God’s standard.
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” – Genesis 2:2-3
The Lord spoke a Word and the devil questioned it, then Adam and Eve modified their view point and lowered their standard.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. – Genesis 3:6
In response to serpent’s question, a seed (a thought was planted) activated Eve’s natural senses. Then using her natural senses, she negated the Word that was originally sown in her heart. When the Lord held them accountable for their actions, that was the first time “the devil made me do it” excuse was made.
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. – James 1:13-17
As Believers, the Word of God is our standard. It is infallible and unchanging. The Lord will speak to you via the Holy Spirit intimately about any and every situation we are in. It is up to us after we have received that clear Word, not to have that modified by the thoughts and suggestions that come after.
The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. – Mark 2:14-15
By nature, we are all hard of hearing. Meaning simply, we get so focused on the task or situation in the natural, that we tend to forget the bigger picture. The devil’s game of spiritual limbo attempts to slowly erode the plans that the Lord has for us. He wasn’t identified as cunning from the beginning of time for nothing. He studies our actions, learns our habits, and plays on our fears. He is constantly adjusting his approach to gain access between what God has said and our actions. All with one objective…to lower our spiritual and natural standards. It is a very subtle downward transition. We slowly become insensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirt, dull in our thoughts, words, and actions. In some cases, we fall back asleep to the things of the Spirit. Wake up, Beloveds, the Bible wasn’t written for the non-believer, it was written for you and me, for our protection.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” – Psalm 91: 1-2
As we continue our sanctification journey with the Lord in this natural life, we must constantly evaluate our thoughts, our heart intents, and carnal desires. Making sure they always line up with the Word and making the Word be our intentional spiritual and natural actions.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. – James 1:23-25
Seeking Revelation:
Grab your notebook:
- Are you keeping in your mouth the original Word that God has sown into your heart for a certain situation or area in your life?
- What daily things are you confessing and acting on to maintain that Word in your heart?
- Meditate on: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- Are there certain situations or areas in your life that you have been playing limbo with the devil?
- Have you been trying to make your circumstance fit into the Word or the Word fit into your circumstance?
- Meditate on: James 1:5-8
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! – Psalm 34:8