When I was a child I heard sermons about how Eve fell into temptations. That she chose to disobey the commandment of God. One pastor highlighted the enemy uses 3 things — the lust of the flesh (good for food), the lust of the eyes (delight to the eyes), the pride of life to entice us. So the way not to fall into temptation is battle against these 3 things.
Having walked for decades in this life, I must say, not many people succeed in overcoming these 3 things. I have failed tremendously. Yet, the LORD has never forsaken me. He is always there to love me. Having known the LORD in a much deeper way, recently, when I read The Account of Creation in Genesis Chapter 1 and The First Marriage in Genesis Chapter 2, I felt how much God loves us that He designed the entire universe to suit us, to provide food for us, to give us all things to enjoy. Yes, to enjoy!
Talk about food, before we exist, God had made all kinds of plants to be food for us. Talk about things that are delightful to the eyes? It is the LORD’s desire to give us beautiful things. Look at the beautify sky and sunset. Look at the flowers, the beautiful mountains and valleys. Talk about pride of life? The bible clearly stated that God made us in His image and to have dominion over every living thing on earth. Hence these desires are simply nature — the senses that we are made to have. Know that God knows all our needs and have already made provision for us even before we can think or ask for. Before Adam know how to ask, God knows that he needs a companion. If we think that to overcome temptation, we have to battle against our desires, then we are imagining God to be someone who is killing our joy when in reality, it pleases Him to bless us, to provide for us, to meet all our needs.
When I read The First Sin and Its Curses in Genesis Chapter 3, I discovered that Eve did not know that God will NOT withhold any good thing from her. God will not withhold wisdom nor any beautiful and delicious food from her that are beneficial to her. Definitely Not! I am a mother and I know that I give the best to my child. I will never withhold any good thing from my child. Never! I will never keep the best for myself. Eve fell because she thought that such delicious food that will make one wise was withheld from her. Adam, who was with her, believe so too. That’s why he ate it too. If he had believed God’s words that they will die, if he had believe that the fruit was poisonous, not only would he stopped Eve, he himself would not have ate it.
The gate into temptation is what we believe of God. It is not when we fail to overcome our flesh and battle against our desires. Faith is not just believing that God can but that He will bless. He desires to bless us.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Psalm 84:11-12 New King James Version (NKJV)
Friends, if you are wondering that this blessing is only for those who are righteous, then let me tell you, no one meets the standard of God. However, by our believe in Christ Jesus, we are justified and make righteous before God, not because of what we have done but because of the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross. Notice that this promise began with the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. This means He provides and protects. Grace is something we do not deserve. So the promise in Psalm 84:11-12 began with the promise that God will give us what we do not deserve and to give us glory too! Notice the last part of this promise stated that blessed is the man who trusts in God? Yes, trust that God wants to bless us. So, believe and receive from our Heavenly Father all the good things that He has prepared for us!