Deception
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Today’s Bible Text Genesis 3:1
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden"?'"
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Notes from Today’s Scriptures
After the Allies' victorious 1943 North African campaign in World War II, it seemed obvious that they next would invade Sicily. The challenge was to convince Hitler that they had other plans. To help accomplish this goal, "Operation Mincemeat" was developed-an elaborate scheme to fool Hitler into thinking they would invade the Balkans, not Sicily.
The effort was a remarkable success. In his book about this operation, Ben Macintyre describes how much of this success was the result of a profound understanding of the art of deception. As Macintyre summarizes, planners succeeded because "deceit can only succeed if the deceived party is willing in some way to be deceived." What did he mean?
Planners discovered that some people within the German government (and its sympathizers) were willing to be deceived. Why? Some were eager for promotion or excessively confident. Others were eager to please or simply gullible.
This is just one example of manipulation in action. But the original manipulator was Satan himself, who, as a serpent, "was more crafty than any beast of the field." Eve was deceived because she liked the rewards Satan offered. He sounded reasonable and made attractive promises...and she was manipulated.
Each of us faces manipulation in many forms. We can be manipulated to believe the wrong ideas, to follow the wrong people, or to buy the wrong products. If we aren't careful, we can be talked into actions we'll later regret.
What's the answer? Be on guard. Base your life on God's Word. Develop a personal, intimate relationship with God Himself, so strong, that you know His voice. Be sensitive to His Spirit. Remember: You will be attacked in many ways. Make sure you're alert and ready.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9
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PRAYER Father, help me to be spiritually strong and ready for attacks. Help me to recognize deception. Give me Your discernment and an ability to hear Your voice. In Jesus' name Amen
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