I enjoy reading the tweets from UberFacts. Some are funny. Some are informative. This one came through today: "The chemical structure of crystal meth is almost identical to that of Vicks Vapor Inhaler." I'm not a chemist but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. Not really! But it seems like this is saying - if true - that a very destructive drug closely resembles a very useful drug.
As frustrated as I sometimes get with the decisions of the Food and Drug Administration, it serves an important role of protecting us from harmful drugs or the harmful use of drugs.
But here's what caught my attention. Satan does the same thing by disguising his advice to closely resemble God's Word. Satan arranges his traps to seem so benign, even beautiful and favorable. Satan's questions make sense; his arguments are compelling.
But Satan is completely opposite of God. His ways are absolutely not God's ways. Worse than a comparison between crystal meth and Vicks Vapor Inhaler! Nothing about Satan compares with God no matter how attractive or sensible or appealing it seems.
Unfortunately, Satan's ways do not come labeled with a warning label with a big red "X" marked across them. We do, however, have God's Word to help us. Ultimately, everything godly honors God and proclaims that Jesus is the Christ. Nothing Satan offers does either.
To avoid a dangerous chemical you have to know a little about chemistry or trust those who do. To avoid Satan's traps you have to know a little about God's Word. So pick up a Bible or download a Bible app and spend a few minutes each day in the Word. This will help you identify the truth of God and the lies of Satan. It will help you steer clear of trouble. It will help you out of trouble you may already be in.
If you aren't sure where to start, I suggest you download the Bible app from youversion.com because it has many Bible translations and reading plans. I typically read the New International Version (NIV 1984) but also like several other modern translations. And I'm using the "Reading God's Story: One-Year Chronological Plan" to read through the Bible this year. If that's more than you want to jump into right now, check out the devotional or topical plans. Or just open up to the Gospel of John.
The main thing is to read the Bible each day so you'll be able to discern between God's truth and Satan's lies. And join a Bible study group at a local church. What others are learning can also help you. Don't let the Impostor fool you.
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