Beginnings: Adam & Eve
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
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. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3 1-8 (NIV)
We can hardly talk about beginnings without considering Adam and Eve, the beginning of God's people on Earth:
The two who got to walk and talk with God!
The two who were simple and innocent.
The two with one single rule to obey...
Which they didn't! Because Eve was deceived, and Adam followed her, instead of God. When they bit the devil’s attractive bait, their simple and innocent days were done.
They attempted to cover up their shame. Each tried to shift responsibility and hoped to escape the consequences...
Which they couldn't. That great delivery required God’s Son to take our punishment. He cleansed and covered with His Own Blood!
However,
After they sinned and before Jesus came, God's first couple was forced to start again: a new beginning in MUCH HARDER TIMES.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
Have you faced painful re-starts in your life?
Where you trusted someone you shouldn’t have…
And your support structure crumbled, then broke?
Or the lifestyle you’d grown accustomed to…
Disappeared, and your new life was harder?
Where family turned against family…
To tragic results you couldn’t control?
Where you prayed, hunkered down, and kept going?
Adam and Eve faced all of this and more. Therefore, let’s follow the first couple’s lead. TRUSTING IN GOD, let’s make the best of it.
Much better, since Jesus HAS come to Earth, we no longer have to go it alone. He'll make what's new BETTER than anything.
One more thing:
No Christian has been called to settle down, so let’s not be afraid of beginnings. You’ve been called to an unusual field. Cherish the challenge. You’re God’s new front line!
Beginnings: Adam & Eve (Part 4)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God– to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.
WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!