Counterfeit Thoughts - Devotional
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, Did God actually say, You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” -Genesis 3:1
Written by: Heidi Farris
In 1865, the United States had a serious problem with its money. It is estimated 1/3 to 1/2 of the US currency was counterfeit! Abraham Lincoln, the President at the time, signed legislation to allow for the creation of The Secret Service. The original purpose of the Secret Service was to deal with counterfeit money. (Later that day, Poor Abe was fatally shot. Maybe that's why they decided to add “Protect the President” to the list of duties they perform.)
The main duty of the Secret Service is still the investigation of financial crime, including counterfeit money. When training, agents are not given a box of counterfeit money to study. They could never keep up with the countless versions throughout the years! Instead, they are given genuine money to study. The agents study the actual bills and coins and master the fine details of each authentic bill. Once they become experts, any fake bills are much easier to spot.
We should keep this in mind when it comes to the counterfeit thoughts that creep in our heads.
From the beginning of humanity, the enemy has been trying to pull us away from the will of God by deceiving us. When he spoke to Eve in the Garden, he didn't flat out say, “Hey, you shouldn't trust God”. That would be like using a wooden nickel. Instead, the serpent deviously said, “Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” Like counterfeit money, it sounded like what God told her. The truth was, God said, “but 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). In other words, they were told to not eat from ONE particular tree, and that was God's boundary to protect Adam and Eve from pain.
How do you detect counterfeit thoughts that creep in your mind? Strive to be an expert of God’s word. Studying the Bible-even ten minutes a day-will start to open your eyes to deception.
When the enemy whispers, “You messed up so bad, God is never going to forgive you,” you will remember that God forgave David's repented heart after committing adultery and murder.
When the enemy whispers, “There's no way you can get through this crisis,” you will remember Paul and every one of his 275 shipmates surviving a fourteen-day storm ending in a violent crash on the rocks.
When the enemy whispers, “You can't do that.”, you will remember how God used an impulsive fisherman to be the cornerstone of his church.
Along with studying the Bible, begin your day remembering your own stories with God. Be intentional as you examine the truth of your life with the Almighty God.
Just like the agents learning to spot a fake bill, the only way to protect yourself from a lifetime of counterfeit whispers from the enemy is to thoroughly know your authentic Holy Father.