Don’t Scratch That Itch

The snake was more clever than all the wild animals the Lord God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must never eat the fruit of any tree in the garden’?”

The woman answered the snake, “We’re allowed to eat the fruit from any tree in the garden except the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You must never eat it or touch it. If you do, you will die!’” … The woman saw that the tree had fruit that was good to eat, nice to look at, and desirable for making someone wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. [Genesis 3:1-2,6 (GW)]

Indeed, Satan is shrewd. He got Eve to concentrate on the one fruit she couldn’t have instead of all the fruit she already had. Temptation is a bit like a mosquito bite that is begging to be scratched. The more we think about the itch, the more we want to scratch it!

Lord, guide us, so that our focus is not on forbidden fruit but rather on the plentiful garden you have already given us.