By Staff
On Aug. 23, 1864, Abraham Lincoln wrote a resolution on a piece of paper. He then proceeded to fold the paper, laid it on the table and asked his cabinet members to endorse it without reading it. They did as he asked.
We don't know what was written on that piece of paper, but we know it was important. These men didn't just suddenly trust Lincoln. They had seen him display character throughout his days as President. Each of them trusted him at that moment because of his faithfulness in his daily life.
Many of us would say, I'm sure, that we trust God in all situations, and I hope that is the case. God has far proven that He is trustworthy in all things.
But sometimes in our lives we don't always trust Him, do we? Sometimes we doubt what God has spoken. One of Satan's greatest tactics is to get us to doubt God. When Satan begins to make us doubt God's word, some very funny things begin to happen. There are four things that happen when we begin to doubt what God has said.
First, we begin to look at things differently. Genesis 3 is the story of Adam and Eve's sin in the garden. Genesis 3:6 says that Eve saw that the fruit looked good to the eyes. Eve began to believe Satan's lies that she wouldn't die if she ate the fruit and began to look at the tree differently. What was once forbidden is now seemingly pleasing to the eyes. It happens even today. Things that made us blush a few years ago are now commonplace because we have listened to Satan's lies.
Second, we begin to do things differently. In the last part of verse 6, Eve took the fruit and she ate it. Then, she gave it to Adam and he ate it. Adam and Eve wouldn't have normally disobeyed God, but Satan cast doubt on God's word and they began to do things that were unlike them.
Third, we begin to look at God differently. Immediately after they ate the fruit, Adam and Eve were keenly aware that they were naked. As a result, they hid themselves in the bushes. They were ashamed of what they had done and wanted to keep it from God. The only problem is that God knew what was going on. The intimate relationship had been destroyed and they felt like they needed to run and hide. It happens in our lives as well. We find ourselves in situations sometimes that make us want to run from God. In those times we should stop and ask for His forgiveness.
Fourth, we begin to look at others differently. When God questioned Adam about what went wrong, he didn't just blame Eve, he blamed God. In verse 12 Adam says, "The woman YOU gave me. God this is your fault. If you hadn't given me that woman, I wouldn't be in this mess."
But when it comes right down to it, we are responsible for the decisions we make. We get into those situations ourselves, but the good news is that Jesus died to get us out of them, if we will put our faith and trust in Him.