Eva tapped her toe, waiting for Sheldon to finish his drawn out spiel on how his website could benefit her. He reminded her of a tacky car salesman. Hair slicked back, shifty eyes, and a fake smile. He rolled his chair closer, invading her space. She cringed and glanced at the door.

Could she escape?

“Did the boss tell you not to click on my link?” he said. “That it would give you the blue screen of death?” His gaze travelled down the front of her blouse. He licked his lips.

The hairs at the back of her neck bristled. Eva pulled her sweater closer to her body, “Yes, he forbid me to do it. Said it would kill my processor.”

“Don’t believe him. It will give you network capabilities beyond belief. ”

She could use the extra speed it promised.

“I’ll think about it,” she said. “I have a meeting now. Thanks for your time.” She pushed her chair back hoping he’d get the message.

Sheldon nodded, ran his tongue along his teeth, and slivered out of the room.

Eva leaned back and exhaled.

He’s creepy but maybe the boss is wrong. What could happen if I try?

She hovered her finger on the mouse. Should she? She shrugged and clicked the link. Her laptop sprang to life.

Eva pumped her fists in the air. “Yes!”

“What’s going on?” Aiden said. Her co-worker plunked himself into a chair.

“Hey, Sheldon’s link works. Look how fast my laptop is working.” She clicked on some web sites to prove it. “Come on, try it.”

He grabbed an apple from his lunch bag, took a bite, and clicked the link.

The office lights flickered and went out, leaving only a blue hue from their screens to illuminate the room.

What do you think of when you see a basket of shiny red apples? Do you want to eat one? Or does your mind take you to the story of Snow White and poisoned fruit? I picture Regina in the show Once Upon a Time.

How about Adam and Eve? We don’t know for sure what type of fruit the serpent tempted Eve with, but we do know she took a bite.

Or bait…so to speak.

Let’s take a closer look.

Eve believed the serpent’s lies. God told Eve she would die if she ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That’s pretty black and white. However, the Bible tells us the serpent was one of the craftiest animals. He knew how to make a lie look like the truth. He still does this today. What lies do we believe? We’re not good enough. We won’t be happy unless we’re rich. We’re too fat. The list goes on. Don’t believe his lies!

Eve ate from the poison apple. She succumbed to the serpent’s temptation. The devil can be sly. He knows our weaknesses, so we need to protect ourselves from his treachery. How? Stay close to God. Read His word. Pray. Ask a friend to hold you accountable. God’s armor can shield us from evil. But first, we have to put it on.

Adam and Eve blamed someone else. They were caught in the act and what was their response? Eve blamed her sin on the serpent. Adam blamed his wife. Did they really think they could pull the wool over God’s eyes? Hardly. How many times do we blame someone else for our mistakes? It’s time we took responsibility and owned up to what we’ve done wrong. Yes, it’s tough. Admitting we’re wrong is hard but necessary. When we do that others will see our integrity.

It’s okay to make mistakes. We’re human.

However, it’s when we try to cover them up that’s wrong.

How about we refrain from eating that poisoned apple?

Stick to the fruit God has given us.

It’s hard to believe sin first entered the world through a bite of fruit. What do you think we would have done in Eve’s shoes (or should I say bare feet!)? Would we have taken a bite? Share your thoughts.

Genesis 3:6 (NIV)

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”