As It Was In The Beginning

Happy New Year! I hope that you had a great Christmas and New Year celebration, enjoying time with family and friends. It's good to be back at the keyboard today dropping in on your day. 

Wow. The Lord really has been speaking through the Advent and holiday season. At least to me anyway. Some of it hasn't been pretty. Revelation of self rarely is. But all of it has been handed to me in a cup of grace. An overflowing, bubbling, redeeming cupful of grace. How I need it to be that way. Don't you?

I'm really geeked about something new that's happening. For the last two years, I've participated in a group that memorized two Scriptures every month for a year. This year I decided to put out a call on Facebook to those that I know more intimately, and invite them to memorize the Word with me in 2012.  Thus, the Scripture Memory Community was born. It's a small group, but it's a group of women committed to hiding God's Word in their hearts every day for the coming year. Dare I say, we will never be the same. There's just nothing like wielding the Sword of the Spirit to make the enemy flee. It's not too late to join us. Click on the link above and join the group! I'm going out on a limb, but I imagine Jesus smiling because He knows that there is dynamite power in His Word, and by His precious Spirit, His daughter's hearts will be filled with that very power.

Speaking of commitments. Did you make any resolutions for the new year? The only resolution that I made this year is to not make any resolutions for this year. Resolutions are so easily broken. A commitment, however, is more of a pledge or a promise. It carries more weight. Whether you call it a commitment or a resolution, we have an adversary who wants to derail us almost as quickly as the words, "I resolve" or "I commit" leave our lipsticked mouths. It has been that way since the beginning.

Have I told you yet how much I love my new Keurig? In a few seconds, I just brewed a fresh cup of delicious coffee.  I digress.

Back to the beginning. 

In the beginning, God created man and woman; Adam and Eve. They lived in the Garden of Eden, naked and not ashamed. They were at ease with each other, felt no fear of exploitation or evil, and walked with God in the cool of the day. The beauty around them must have been breathtaking and they were supplied with food like we have never tasted. Can you imagine? When I close my eyes, I can picture myself there...except I'm not too thrilled with the naked part. 

Seven short verses later it all fell apart. A serpent slithered. Temptation came in disguise. A twisted lie was told. A wife fell for the lie. A husband shirked responsibility and joined the feast. One bite. Everything changed. Only seven short verses later. 

Scholars believe that Adam and Eve were not residents of the Garden for very long before "The Fall". Through careful study, they say that it may have been less than one week before they ate of the fruit and the curse came upon all mankind from that day forward. Your adversary, my adversary, wasted no time.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Things are no different today, friend. The second that Satan hears you make a commitment or a resolution to the Lord, he slithers. He comes disguised in lies, justifications, excuses and endless reasoning, to make you give up. It may be immediate, a few days, a month. Make no mistake he WILL come and he WILL entice you to quit. He hates God. He hates you. He hates any commitment or intimacy that you have with God.

You may have committed to reading your Bible and spending time in prayer, early every morning. That's the voice of your enemy whispering that it would be so much better to snuggle back under those covers and sleep a while longer. 


You may have committed to Scripture memorization. That's the voice of your enemy telling you that you're just not smart enough and it's just too hard.

Whether it's making changes to better your health, turn your back on a habit, spend more time with your family, get out of debt, get organized, or volunteer for an area of service to the Lord this year, you can bet that Satan has an excuse all gift-wrapped for you to stop you in your tracks. 

The good news is that we are not unaware of his schemes. (2 Cor. 2: 11) He can't outwit us. The secular world says it this way; forewarned is forearmed. 

If we know the enemy's tactics and methods, we will recognize them immediately when they attack us and we will not give up or give in. 

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5: 8)   

Your commitment or resolution for the year 2012 is completely doable if you are alert and aware that the enemy, Satan, is slithering and prowling around, just waiting to convince you to give up. His assaults on believers are fierce in these last days, because "he is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." (Revelation 12: 12)  

Be alert. Know the voice of the enemy. Know the Word well enough to recognize the voice of God. Don't begin a day without asking the Holy Spirit to fill you. 

"[You] can do everything through Him who gives [you] strength."

(Philippians 4: 13)

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Linking with Emily.
Linking with Shanda
Linking with Ann
Linking with Rachel