Do Not Be Deceived - Day 3

Day 3: Quoted Right, Applied Wrong

Devotional

If deception were obvious, it would not be effective. By nature it is hidden and concealed, and it carries enough truth to be believed. It looks right, it feels right, and it makes sense.

Go back to Genesis 3. The devil questioned God's word, challenged His character and suggested God was withholding good from Adam and Eve. Gradually the issue moved away from what God had actually said to what Eve began to believe about what God had said. That is a dangerous place to be, because once you begin to question the truth of God's word, you open the door for something else to take its place.

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he quoted Scripture, and he quoted it correctly. The problem was not that it was quoted wrong. It was being misapplied, and Jesus recognized it. The question for us is whether we can.

A person can quote a scripture accurately and still apply it incorrectly. They can take a promise out of context, ignore the circumstance in which it was given, or use one passage in a way that contradicts the clear teaching of others.

The same is true of what goes on in our own heads. Not every thought you have is from God. That is why John tells us to test the spirits, and why we can't afford to build our understanding of God on isolated statements, impressive personalities or carefully selected verses.

Bible Verse

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1 (New King James Version (NKJV))

Reflection Question

Which is most likely to pull you in: something that confirms an opinion you already have, something that makes you feel important, or something that explains what you don't yet understand?

Quote

"Not everything that contains a Bible verse is necessarily a biblical message." - Pastor John Pool

Prayer

Holy Spirit, teach me to recognize when Your Word is being misapplied, even by me. Help me test what I hear and what I think against what You have actually said. Amen.