A Path Among the Rocks

The woman was convinced.  She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. 

Genesis 3:6 (NLT)

A million miles of dance floor have been taken up two-stepping to that old song “Looking for Love in the All the Wrong Places.”  The enemy was doing a dance of his own when he met up with Eve that fateful day in the Garden.  We won’t know for sure what was going through Eve’s mind as she was listening to that slithering tongue work its dark purpose, but we can know from the verse above that Eve was looking for something. 

As we dance around the dance floor of our lives, how many times have we made unwise decisions.  I’ve made more than a few in my years, that’s for sure.  So, for purposes of this post, I’d like to change the name of that song to “Looking for Wisdom in All the Wrong Places.”

The NIV translation says “When the woman saw that the fruit from the tree was……desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” Eve was looking for wisdom.  It’s a good thing to have.  She wanted it so much so that she went down a path and did a dance with the devil that led to a decision that changed her life and ours for eternity. 

I can relate to Eve’s desire for wisdom.  I need some wisdom today too.  I need to know how to make some decisions that will impact my future.  I need to know if I’m on the right track to be in God’s will.  I daresay that I am not alone in the need for wisdom.  I think we all are in a constant state of needing wisdom for something, some decision, some action or inaction every day of our lives. 

In today’s society, there are an enormity of different web sites, online groups, blogs, vlogs, newspapers, magazines, television programs, Instagram and Facebook influencers – all of whom are available to impart their wisdom on any subject that you can think of.  And if that weren’t enough in terms of resources, we now have Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can help us with every conceivable need or question.  All we have to do is just type in what we need to know. 

On a lark, I typed the following question into an AI tool to see what AI has to say on the subject of Eve and her wisdom-seeking dance: 

“Should Eve have ate the apple?”

Here is AI’s response:

“In the biblical narrative of Genesis, whether Eve should have eaten the fruit (historically depicted as an apple) depends on the theological or philosophical lens through which the story is viewed.”

There you have it.  To summarize, AI’s answer is “It depends on how you look at it…”

I guess that’s true enough, but the concerning part about that is when we are seeking the right answer, the wise answer, and we need infallible wisdom to guide us in our life’s decisions, we really need something more concrete than “It depends on how you look at it.”

The good news is that we do have something trustworthy and true.  God’s Word. 

The Bible says this about wisdom: 

• Proverbs 2:6 – “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

In other words, God has the wisdom we seek.  And God’s Word teaches us that He is very pleased to give us all the wisdom we need. We only need ask Him for it. 

• James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

The advice from James in this verse seems to be very simple, but I wonder sometimes if we don’t take advantage of that easy ask like we should.  From my own perspective, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why, at the beginning of any circumstance that comes my way, I don’t take into consideration whose I am, and just how much God loves me and that He wants the very best for me in my life.    

I’ve come to the realization that I am not actually doing a very good job of seeing myself and thinking of myself as a daughter of the Most High King as part of my initial reaction to those circumstances. The truth is that nothing that comes into my life is outside of God’s view and control.  Nothing. 

I was very lucky to have had an earthly father that I know loved me.  And I know without a shadow of a doubt that my earthly father would have done everything in his power to move heaven and earth for me if I had a need and he was able to help with it in any way.  I realize that not everyone has had that same experience with parents or parental figures in their lives, and that makes it even harder to fully appreciate and believe that we have a Heavenly Father that is infinitely more than even the most perfect earthly parent ever could be.  

Matthew 7:9-10 says “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

For those of us who were lucky to have had an earthly father that would willingly give all the bread and fish that we needed, that’s a lovely picture, but even as nice as it is, it is still a poor comparison to the vastly generous, and incalculable grace, love and provision, including the pouring out of wisdom and forgiveness, that our Heavenly Father is ready to give us at all times. 

As we begin a new year, filled with new possibilities (and even a clean slate to begin again if we need one), I want to encourage you to seek God’s Word first as your mainstay for a stable, consistent and trustworthy source of truth.  And to ask for that wisdom from our Heavenly Father, who longs to answer that request, with no judgment. 

For me, I’m going to work on changing my internal mirror – to begin to see and believe that, of all the things that I am, I am first and most importantly, a child of our Father in Heaven.  I invite you to join me in that quest.  I fully believe that it will transform our lives for the better in this new year. 

I pray for wisdom, peace, happiness, health, love and protection over you this year.  May God richly bless you. 

Proactive Verse: John 1:12 – Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.

Defensive Verse:  Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?

Promise:  James 1: 5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.