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I heard a story somewhere that one of the main reasons why a swanky Energy Minister of Ghana was axed so ruthlessly was because he had presidential ambitions!

I cannot verify it, but I know one thing; that most people hate it when their subordinates covet their positions; especially if it is the highest position in the structure. This is because if that desire is granted, it leaves them nowhere else to go, and basically renders them redundant!

There are times that such covetousness is not very obvious because of the masked nature of the desire. When your child says to you:

_”Daddy, I know that when you die, I will inherit two of your four houses. Can you give me the two now?”_

That sounds very harmless, right? But if Daddy grants that request, then he is going to be owning only two, of the four houses he toiled to build; for the rest of his life! Assuming the other children follow suit with the same request, the Daddy suddenly owns nothing! And those who worked for nothing own everything! Put bluntly, who would like it when their children wish them dead, because they worked hard; and intend to leave the children an inheritance?

Some will say it is ambition, but they get it all wrong. Ambition drives you to work for your own! Covetousness drives you to want to take what other people have worked for!  

The problems of this world started when Lucifer said,

_*”I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”*_(Isaiah 14:14)

Interestingly, he is never tired of using the same trick to draw us away from God.

_READ *Genesis 3:2-6*_

“And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:2-6 NKJV)

We have heard the story of _”The Fall of Man”_ several times. And most people attribute it to eating a fruit.

But was it just about a fruit? Was it not more about the intent that led to eating the fruit? The intent to _“Be like God, knowing good and evil.”_ (Genesis 3:5). Someone will again say this is ambition. If this is a good ambition, why didn’t they wait and ask God for the same thing? There was every indication that God visited and interacted with them often!

Does it not sound like Lucifer saying,

_”I will Ascend?”_

Instead of saying,

_”I will ask the Lord, Who created me, to raise and promote me?”_

Satan used exactly the same thing that made him fall, to bring the man down! And he continues to  use it every day. He used it on Jesus when he told him:

“All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:9)

Lucifer wanted to _*“ascend and be like the most High”*_,without creating anything;Eve wanted to be _*“like God, knowing good and evil”*_ by simply eating a fruit; and Jesus was told,

_*“All these things I will give You if You will simply fall down and worship me.”*_

Do they sound similar; and familiar?

So, the Adam and Eve problem was not just about a fruit.

As my Ghana people will put it,

_”Shortcuts are very dangerous!”_

Anytime we see any of those get-rich-quick, get-fame quick, or get-power-quick schemes being advertised let us remember that, Adams problem was not just about a fruit!

*MEMORY VERSE*

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17)

*QUESTIONS*

1. What are your desires; what do you desire?

2. Are you desiring the right things; and if so, are you pursuing them the right way?

3. Can you ask God; He is the source of all things?

(Watch out if you cannot boldly ask God what you desire! It means it is evil!)

*PRAYER TIP*

God Almighty, please help us to desire the right things; and pursue them the right way by coming to You, the source out all things.

Written by:

*BENNY MALM*

For:

*TESTIMONY DEVOTIONAL*