“You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:17).
For destiny to play its rightful role in life certain things must be in place: that one thing is obedience to the word of God without which every great destiny would become a poisoned chalice.
Everyone wants to be great but few are ready to pay the price. In our spiritual journey, obedience is key to accessing divine promises and power while disobedience poisons the fruits of destiny and renders a believer powerless before satan.
While in the garden of Eden Adam and Eve were destined for great things but they failed miserably due to their disobedience.
Even though God had clearly laid down His golden rule in Genesis 2:17, they decided it was best to listen to Satan and in doing so fell for his deception and ended up with a poisoned destiny. In doing so they helped Satan in unleashing sin and death on what would have been a glorious existence for man on earth.
To a man who was king, God said, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you”.
Why did Saul lose his kingdom? Disobedience. Choosing his own will over God’s will leaves Saul with a poisoned destiny.
The Prophet Samuel was direct in laying down the consequences of Saul’s actions, saying:
“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry”. (1 Samuel 15:22-23).
Even though the death of Jesus and his atoning works on the cross came with a newfound liberty from the law of dos and don’ts, believers will still need to exercise caution in how they express their freedom if they must achieve all the Lord has destined them to be.
The same Satan who was at work in the garden of Eden, though bruised by the glorious work of Jesus on the cross for the sake of believers is still very much at work with his beguiling spirit. This is why obedience remains a generational weapon against that old and foxy enemy, Satan.
On the surface, certain things may appear harmless to a believer but they are indeed the main culprit of stunted spiritual lives and progress.
Warning some Christians Apostle Paul said even though all things seem lawful to them but they should be careful because all that seems lawful are not expedient or helpful in the course of their spiritual growth. {1 Corinthians 10:23}.
We should all be as watchful as Jesus who knew that His destiny was to be crowned the King of Kings (Revelation 19:16) therefore He would not listen or be cajoled by Satan’s premature and deceptive offers relating to his Kingship. (Matthew 26:53).
What is Satan presently offering you in exchange for your stand in Christ? Have you considered that it is a satanic plot to poison your glorious destiny in Christ Jesus?
What sort of person are you under the pressure of illicit advances? Do you dissolve like salt in water or hold firm like a rock against the pounding waves of temptation?
Throughout His temptation, Jesus maintained His integrity and refused to compromise by holding firm against the onslaught of satan.
By knowing the word of God and applying it as Jesus did against Satan, we would be in a strong place to repel the attacks of the enemy and in doing so prevent our destiny from being poisoned.
And if you are presently living in disobedience all you need to do is to turn to God in repentance and faith. Acknowledge that Jesus Christ can make you right before God and ask him to forgive and cleanse you from your sins.
Reading
Luke 4:1-13.
