Cracking a Counterfeit

Image courtesy of Morguefile.com

A local Connecticut news story reports, “State police…cracked a counterfeiting operation.”  I thought this only happened in spy movies. Suddenly, I am more aware of money that passes through my hands, looking carefully at the serial numbers.  The last thing I want is to be fooled into taking fake bills, and even more, I don’t want to use one myself by mistake.

People who are trained to identify counterfeit money need to know the real thing. But, instead of studying the counterfeit, they analyze the real currency.

God’s Word says that Satan is a fake; he is anti-Christ. And, though he presents himself as an angel of light, if you know the Light of the World, the enemy’s attempts at counterfeiting it will stand out. 

Satan tries to counterfeit so he can dupe us into trading God’s way into one that leads us astray. 

Some discoveries I have made include:

• Jesus is the Truth; Satan is the father of lies.
• Jesus is the Lion of Judah; Satan is the roaring lion who seeks to devour.
• Jesus gives life. Satan is the harbinger of death.
• Jesus opens the eyes of those who believe; Satan blinds the unbelieving so they won’t see the Truth.

God’s Word is full of these black and white examples for us to see the truth about the enemy’s desire to trick us. 

Image courtesy of Morguefile.com

God offers love in what Jesus did for us on Calvary. 

The enemy dangles a worldly love that never satisfies and most often destroys. 

Jesus promised the filling and presence of the Holy Spirit, the one who comforts and gives us spiritual understanding. 

The enemy offers misunderstanding, spirituality and false comfort through cults, mystic and new age practices.

God knows our future and tells us we can trust Him to know what is best and for Him to be with us, yet the enemy will entice us to seek answers through mediums, astrology, tarot and other means.

To know the difference between what is good from God and what is meant to distract us away from Him, we need to become so familiar with who God is in Scripture—His character. And, we need to trust that He is working in us, for our best. 

To embrace the counterfeit will leave us wanting, hungry and thirsty but never satisfied.

So, the best way to crack a counterfeit is to know the Real Thing. Don't be duped! Dig into God's Word to discover Who He is, so when faced with the enemy's lie you can stare him down and choose the Truth.

How have you identified the counterfeit? In what way have you come to know what is true about God so that you are more aware of the enemy's lie?

Jeanne

Fresh Manna

There is nothing like fresh, crusty bread right out of the oven—spread with fresh butter and the combination is intoxicating. Since having to watch my glycemic index, nothing less will do. It’s not worth wasting my carbs on a hotdog roll or piece of Wonder bread. It has to be good!

During the wilderness wandering, God provided manna for the people to eat. It appeared every morning and melted in the sun. The Israelites gathered it fresh each day and they were not to save any—when they did out of disobedience, it spoiled—it was rancid and full of worms. The only exception was on the Sabbath. They gathered a double portion so they would have enough for the next day. And, the extra didn’t spoil. Manna became their daily food, provided, always fresh, never left over.

When the people got thirsty in the desert, God provided water for them to drink. With his staff, Moses struck a rock and fresh water flowed. But, even Moses needed to learn that God doesn’t always provide in the same way. The next time the people grumbled about thirst, God told Moses to speak to the rock—but Moses fell back on the tried and true, striking the rock twice, just in case. This cost Moses his right to enter the Promised Land. Even Moses needed to learn that God’s methods of provision were also fresh daily.

God was explicit in His directions so they would rely on what He said and find Him trustworthy. They were slaves for so long that they needed to retrain their thinking. God delivered them from their oppressors and promised to go with them, providing their needs along the way. It took a generation for this change to begin to sink in, one fresh manna-day at a time.

So, what does this mean for today?

For me, I can tell you that I am learning that manna is like His Word and I need to gather it daily—fresh, not left over from days past. His Word is living and active, able to speak to what I am going through today. But I need today’s manna for today’s situations. And, I think He wants me to follow His instructions carefully. Most likely He won’t meet my need or answer my prayer in the same way twice, or like He has for others. He is more creative than that. His fresh provision, fresh manna and fresh words speak to me and my situation.

Fresh manna and God's provision make for an intoxicating combination—one that only God can provide as we walk with Him day by day. It gives us a new perspective when we pray- Give us this day our daily bread.

What manna have you gathered today and how has it provided for your needs?

Jeanne