The Unforbidden fruit...
Did you have to read that over a few times before this thought crept in... "Unforbidden...wait, is that a word?"
Were you almost convinced for a second that it actually was a word? Try it out again, "unforbidden". It's the opposite of forbidden right?
Okay - I admit, it's not really a word, although I think it should be. Let's look at them together.
FORBIDDEN - UNFORBIDDEN
One says you can't and the other says you can right? Still not convinced? Alright, I give in then.
So what is the opposite of "forbidden"? Here are a few choices and I will let you choose the one you like best.
Acceptable, allowed, approved, authorized, permitted and lawful.
The point I want to make is this: So often we hear and think about the "forbidden fruit" in the garden of Eden which Eve and then Adam ate, but how often do we think about the fruit God did allow them to eat? ("Allowed", that's the word I chose, which one did you like?)
Visit these verses with me really quick if you will.
"The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man (Adam) whom He had formed and from the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and bad. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat, but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it, for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die." Genesis 2:8-9; 16-17 (JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh. Parenthesis mine)
How often do we focus on the things which are forbidden instead of what is allowed and approved by God? You see this was a strategy of satan, the evil one, from the very beginning and still is to this very day. If he can get us to focus on all the things which are forbidden, then he can keep our focus off of the wonderful things that are allowed. Pretty crafty is it not? Well, after all, it does say in Genesis 3:1,
"Now the serpent (also known as satan) was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made." (JPS. Parenth. mine.)
In the next few posts we are going to focus on what the LORD God did allow. May it never escape our attention again!
So let's break it down. "Every tree that was pleasing to the sight." Pleasing to the sight. The enemy of your soul wants to tempt you with the bad or evil things to look at so that your eyes are not able to see the pleasing and beautiful things that God wants to show you. It's the "look over here" so you will not "see over there" trick if that makes sense. Not unlike the slight of hand that so many magicians use to distract you from what they do not want you looking at. Can we be real here? Satan, that serpent of old says in essence, "Look at the filth, pornographic, demonic and violent (need I go on?) so you will not see the realm of the beautiful, holy and righteous. When we look upon these things, they have the ability to sear our minds. They are not harmless and they have a purpose.
There is a reason Jesus said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23 NIV
God does not want to take everything away from you. He longs to give us all of Himself, cleansing us from anything that stands in the way of Him doing that. If that is your hearts cry today, pray the following in your heart to Him:
"Jesus, please forgive me for the things I have put before my eyes that have not been pleasing to You. Will You cleanse my eyes and mind from any evil and wash them with the salve that Your precious blood on the cross provided for me to be clean and forgiven? Remove all darkness from within me and let Your light permeate every part of my body, mind and spirit. I break any agreements I have made with the enemy knowingly or unknowingly. I make a covenant with You now to protect my eyes from gazing upon the unholy and profane, that which is not pleasing in Your sight. Would You now open my spiritual eyes to all things from You? I want to see Your glory God and anything you want to show me. Thank You that You hear me and I know you will anwer me. I ask all of this in the mighty Name of Jesus."
If you prayed this prayer in faith and seek the Lord with all your heart, you will be astounded at the things He begins showing you. How He longs to show you the "trees" that are pleasing to the sight just as God said in Genesis 2:9.
In my next post we will be looking at the next part of this verse where it says, "..and good for food." Until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you and fill your eyes with His wonder.
Blessings~Beth
Did you have to read that over a few times before this thought crept in... "Unforbidden...wait, is that a word?"
Were you almost convinced for a second that it actually was a word? Try it out again, "unforbidden". It's the opposite of forbidden right?
Okay - I admit, it's not really a word, although I think it should be. Let's look at them together.
FORBIDDEN - UNFORBIDDEN
One says you can't and the other says you can right? Still not convinced? Alright, I give in then.
So what is the opposite of "forbidden"? Here are a few choices and I will let you choose the one you like best.
Acceptable, allowed, approved, authorized, permitted and lawful.
The point I want to make is this: So often we hear and think about the "forbidden fruit" in the garden of Eden which Eve and then Adam ate, but how often do we think about the fruit God did allow them to eat? ("Allowed", that's the word I chose, which one did you like?)
Visit these verses with me really quick if you will.
"The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man (Adam) whom He had formed and from the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and bad. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat, but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it, for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die." Genesis 2:8-9; 16-17 (JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh. Parenthesis mine)
How often do we focus on the things which are forbidden instead of what is allowed and approved by God? You see this was a strategy of satan, the evil one, from the very beginning and still is to this very day. If he can get us to focus on all the things which are forbidden, then he can keep our focus off of the wonderful things that are allowed. Pretty crafty is it not? Well, after all, it does say in Genesis 3:1,
"Now the serpent (also known as satan) was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made." (JPS. Parenth. mine.)
In the next few posts we are going to focus on what the LORD God did allow. May it never escape our attention again!
So let's break it down. "Every tree that was pleasing to the sight." Pleasing to the sight. The enemy of your soul wants to tempt you with the bad or evil things to look at so that your eyes are not able to see the pleasing and beautiful things that God wants to show you. It's the "look over here" so you will not "see over there" trick if that makes sense. Not unlike the slight of hand that so many magicians use to distract you from what they do not want you looking at. Can we be real here? Satan, that serpent of old says in essence, "Look at the filth, pornographic, demonic and violent (need I go on?) so you will not see the realm of the beautiful, holy and righteous. When we look upon these things, they have the ability to sear our minds. They are not harmless and they have a purpose.
There is a reason Jesus said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23 NIV
God does not want to take everything away from you. He longs to give us all of Himself, cleansing us from anything that stands in the way of Him doing that. If that is your hearts cry today, pray the following in your heart to Him:
"Jesus, please forgive me for the things I have put before my eyes that have not been pleasing to You. Will You cleanse my eyes and mind from any evil and wash them with the salve that Your precious blood on the cross provided for me to be clean and forgiven? Remove all darkness from within me and let Your light permeate every part of my body, mind and spirit. I break any agreements I have made with the enemy knowingly or unknowingly. I make a covenant with You now to protect my eyes from gazing upon the unholy and profane, that which is not pleasing in Your sight. Would You now open my spiritual eyes to all things from You? I want to see Your glory God and anything you want to show me. Thank You that You hear me and I know you will anwer me. I ask all of this in the mighty Name of Jesus."
If you prayed this prayer in faith and seek the Lord with all your heart, you will be astounded at the things He begins showing you. How He longs to show you the "trees" that are pleasing to the sight just as God said in Genesis 2:9.
In my next post we will be looking at the next part of this verse where it says, "..and good for food." Until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you and fill your eyes with His wonder.
Blessings~Beth
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