God gave Adam and Eve two tasks
- Tend the garden
- Watch over the garden
In Rest: Work is a Gift I told you the word “tend” is the Hebrew word ‘abad,’ and it means to work or to serve either things, people, or God.
“Watch over” is the Hebrew word ‘samar.’ And it means to watch, to preserve, to guard, to be careful, to watch carefully over, to be on one’s guard.
This is all self-explanatory. But keep in mind, God never would have told them to guard the garden if there wasn’t something to guard against. He knew, even then, Satan was prowling around looking for a way to devour them.
It’s no different for us. As we determine to honor God and employ the six principles of work, Satan is looking for ways to destroy us, steal our hope, and obliterate our faith.
He is still the prince of this fallen world, so bad things are going to happen. Count on it. We’re going to get hurt. Promises will be broken. People will gossip about us and undermine our efforts. Friends will be jealous of our success. Co-workers and people we trust will steal our positions and ideas. Stress is inevitable. Workloads will be unbearable.
See, Satan doesn’t need much. Just an opening. A weakness, an ache, an anguish to take advantage of and exploit.
Then he uses our pain to entice us to sin—paving the way to our destruction.
But we have the upper hand!
We don’t have to fall prey to his deceptions or give in to our pride.
We’re fully equipped to fight the Enemy because we have God’s Spirit living inside us—this is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead! He’s empowered us with His armor, God’s Word, and prayer so we can be vigilant as we keep watch. So before Satan is able to exploit your hurts, take them straight to Jesus and ask Him to guide your steps and words as you work through your disappointments.
One more thing. Jesus has already destroyed the works of Satan! He’s won. And The Day is coming soon when Satan will be eternally punished for his wickedness. Amen?!? So, when he comes after you, remind him of his defeat and his fate. Then declare Whose you are and that he has NO POWER over you.
Jesus, I love you and want to honor you in everything I think, do and say. Help me to be on my guard against the Enemy’s schemes. Show me how to shut them down, avoid them, or, if need be, how to fight them. Keep me anchored in Your Word and prayer so I will be empowered to overcome the temptation to sin when painful situations arise.
Blessings
Cheyenne