Buying a home made me kind of obsessed.
Every day I scoured realty apps, drove neighborhoods, and imagined becoming Johanna Gaines, redesigning a a fixer-upper.
I grasped for control. My anxiety swirled. Peace abated. My hyper-focus distracted my prayer life, Bible reading—and let’s just be honest—everything.
I realized house hunting was becoming a practical idol.
Whatever we desire more than God—and whatever we turn to, to reach those desires—leads us away from God.
Earlier this week, I desired finding a house more than I desired God (ouch).
Desiring Our Way More Than God’s Way
For Adam’s wife, she desired wisdom more than God as she listened to the serpent’s lure, as if the Holy One kept her from something good. Rather, it was His goodness that kept her from the knowledge of evil.
But instead of trusting God’s character, she mistrusted God’s goodness and disbelieved God’s word.[2]
Have you ever been there?
Have you wanted to do things your way instead of God’s way? Have you tried to grasp control instead of trusting God’s control?
I have.
And God’s response to the serpent in Genesis 3 offers us tangible hope in our own garden-like moments.
How the Serpent’s Curse Offers Us Hope
Genesis 3:14 (NIV)
So the Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
The same breath that spoke a blessing over Adam and his wife to care for creation and to rule as God’s image-bearers, is the same voice that boomed a curse on the serpent that sent him down to the dust (Genesis 1:28, 3:14).
But God didn’t curse the woman—or Adam.
Yes, there were consequences for their sin (more in future posts)—but the blessing over humanity remained.
So, when we sin (maybe in the next 5 minutes), we can stop our sin, turn back to Him, and stand firm in faith against our enemy (1 John 1:9, Ephesians 6:10-20).
YOUR TURN
How does God’s power over Satan and the fact that you have God’s power living inside of you by His Spirit—encourage and embolden you to resist the enemy (James 4:7)?
Pray about this or anything else on your heart.
If you would like to read a prayer, here is one for you:
Father, Son, Holy Spirit—I worship You. Thank you for the curse narrative in Genesis three which shows me that You have authority and power over Satan. Thank you for Your Spirit living in me that also gives me power and authority over Him. Help me to stand firm in You and not allow myself to be enticed by the lures of the crafty Serpent.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
[1] Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), 435.
