”But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”“

Genesis 2:16-17 NLT

God, being the relational being He is, designed man for His input. God is not a God of confusion, therefore his instructions and inputs give us clear, direct information.

”The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”“

Genesis 3:1 NLT

Satan’s deception attempts to skirt Gods instructions by causing doubt of them. He also puts doubt in Eves mind about God’s character before offering her something desirable (the tasty looking forbidden fruit).

”If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.“

2 Corinthians 11:30 NLT

In parallel, the reading in 2 Corinthians highlights Paul’s trustworthiness by how much he’s suffered. People didn’t always like what Paul had to say, and for his steadfast love of God and his willingness to offer instruction he was often and consistently persecuted.

We must be discerning of the inputs we allow. It may be nice to hear what we’d like to, however a person who speaks to you clearly, and offers correction when necessary is going to be the more trustworthy input.