What's Your "Fruit?

At my CBS (Community Bible Study) class we are studying the book of Genesis. This week we discussed the Fall of Man and Eve's decision to eat of the forbidden fruit. How could she make that choice in such a perfect environment? Since it was my turn to share the weekly leadership devotion I wrote the following........

At the She Speaks conference in North Carolina one of the speakers said something that really struck home. She said, "Satan's M.O. has always been to convince you that the one thing you don't have is the one thing that will make you happy."

Advertisers are making a fortune promoting this idea. If you want to be happy you just need to look younger, be thinner, wear designer labels, change your hair color, drink the right soda... Whatever the product the message is the same, "the one thing you don't have is the one thing that will make you happy."

I still remember the first time I discovered the truth of that statement. For me it was a make-over Barbie Doll head. I was about 8 years old and I remember thinking if I could just have a “Make Over Barbie Doll head” I will never want anything again as long I live.

Not long after that I desperately wanted a sewing machine. By the time I was 12 it was my own telephone and of course at 16 I was certain that if I could just have a new car I would finally be happy. Well I did get the car and yet I still wanted more:

A boyfriend, a job, new clothes, a husband, a baby, a house, a bigger house, another baby....There was a time I actually thought “If I could just drive a minivan I will finally be the mom I long to be!


Of course when that didn’t work I had more babies and that led to the need for an SUV and a bigger house, which meant buying more “things” to fill it up. It was a never ending chase of an elusive goal.

It is a strange place to be when you discover you have everything you thought you wanted and yet you aren’t happy. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having babies or buying homes but they can never fill a “God Shaped Hole”.

Now I may be a little slow but I did finally figure out that what I was lacking was divine direction and purpose for my life. Instead of seeking God’s truth I was listening to Satan’s lies about what I needed to be happy. Only when I took my eyes off of my own desires was I able to focus on Him and His plans for me.

And what does that include?

Well, Jeremiah 29:11 promises “He knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.”

I don’t know the specifics of what God has in store for my future but I do know that he has promised if I “Delight myself in Him he will give me the desires of my heart.” And His word tells me “his precepts are right and give joy to my heart.”

So what about you?

What is the one thing you think you need in order to be happy?

Money, Independence, a new or improved relationship, a different job or life situation?

Whatever it is, I challenge you to give those desires to God and as you pray about them remember Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”