Tempting with "Good"

Monday February 9, 2015

I´ve endured many cycles of success and failure in my long struggle with healthy eating and consistent exercise. Whenever my efforts fail, however, it´s because I´ve succumbed to the allure of something that seemed to offer me true pleasure : another slice of iced apple cake or a series of leisurely mornings where I dot have to drag my body out to the road for another run. The truth, of course, is that poor nutrition and a lethargic body yield nothing good at all.

From the first stories of human temptation to today, it´s obvious that we´re rarely tempted with something that looks purely evil. There´s often a trace of goodness mixed in with the rebellious suggestion that we would do well to refuse God´s instructions. In the Eden temptation, the serpent told Eve that contrary to God´s warning, she would not die if she ate from the tree. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you wilb e like God, knowing both good and evil" (Genesis 3:5).

In other words, the serpent suggested to Eve that God was selfish, and that if she would simply ignore His warnings she would find the knowledge and experience she lacked. And this knowledge and experience, the serpent assured, wasn´t evil, but so very, very good. After their tragic disobedience, Eve and Adam found only ruin and great sorrow. "They suddenly felt shame" (v.7). This was a shock. They had expected to discover new power and freedom.

Temptation always promises goodness that it can never possibly deliver. God is the source of all beauty, truth, and pleasure. Anything (or anyone) that draws us away from Him causes us to leave true life and joy behind. - Winn Collier

Read
Genesis 3:1-7
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animlas the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, "It is written : Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written : 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "
Jesus answered him, "It is also written : Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written : Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Question to Ponder
Where are you most tempted to step away from God?
How can you learn to resist this temptation and cling to His goodness?

**Article taken from ODJ (Our Daily Journey with God) Dec 2014 - Feb 2015 issue