Open Heavens Devotion April 26th 2016

Open Heavens 26 April 2016: Tuesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Topic: Know your Enemy I

Memorise: My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. – Proverbs 1:10

Read: Genesis 3:1-5 (KJV)

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 4-6, Proverbs 15:25-16:5

MESSAGE:

One of the earliest weapons of the devil against both spiritual and physical well-being of a man is enticement. He has, from time immemorial, been successfully using this weapon against humanity. The first time he used it was in the Garden of Eden.

“4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6a And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,” - Genesis 3:4-6a

As a matter of fact, the fruit was not better looking than other fruits of the garden, but the mental picture that the devil painted about it suggested to the woman that the fruits was better than the ones God has generously given them to eat. Today, there are many good things of life that God has provided for humanity and His children in particular, but the enticement of the enemy has robbed many people of the joy and contentment in God's benevolence. For example; if am man goes about chasing a woman who is not his wife, he is deluded and enticed to think that the strange woman possesses something that his wife does not have. It is the lie of the devil when you think that a second marriage will give you the joy that you did not have in the first. Read this confession of the first polygamist in history:

“19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah… 23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.” - Genesis 4:19,23

Though we may not have the full details of Lamechs lamentation in this passage, the fact remains than an increase in the number of his wives did not spare him from the agony that instigated this lament.

Beloved, in what areas have you been deceived through the enticement of the devil? I pray that the enticement will loosen its grip over you from today in Jesus name.

Prayer Point: Father, when sinners come around to entice me, may I not consent in Jesus name.