Good day to ya everyone. Today I’m going to share something with you that really blessed me when I read it. But first we must pray.
Today’s Prayer
(An individual prayer; Inject your own self into it)
Father, everyone has the same number of hours in a day. How I use mine will determine the person I become. Whether or not I take time to read Your Word and to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit is a choice that I make daily. Help me to see that only by choosing Your way can I be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. Oh Lord, I want to choose life, and live it on Your terms. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
The Limit of Love
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…'” Genesis 3:1
How did the Serpent, the crafty one, get the human to even consider eating? First, it accosted Eve where she was vulnerable. It simply got Eve to consider questioning God. All it did was ask a subtle question. “Did God really say…?” That little question caused Eve to step outside of God’s protective care to question God’s command. Eve began to judge the Almighty Judge. Doubt was planted in her heart like quack grass sown in a wheat field. Then distortion. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” I can almost hear Eve respond, “Of course not. How absurd! God didn’t say that, you silly snake. God only said we’re not to touch or eat the one in the middle of the garden.” But God didn’t say, “Don’t touch!” God only said (my paraphrase), “You are free to eat of any tree, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If you do, you’ll surely die.” Obedience equals freedom. Disobedience equals death. But naive Eve accepts the sniveling of a snake over the Word of Almighty God.
At the tree, let’s watch Eve for a bit. She saunters around the tree seeing it with new eyes. Did she think, “It looks okay to eat”? Did she contemplate picking the fruit? Did she think, “Should I touch it? What was it God said? Was it don’t touch, or just don’t eat? The fruit smells good. See how it glistens. How beautiful it is! And the serpent said it will make one wise, to boot! Maybe, just one bite won’t hurt. Mmm. Delicious. Wow, the snake was right! I didn’t die — whatever that means.” Then did she call out, “Hey, Adam, have some! It’s delicious. Really sweet.” And Adam, apparently without a struggle, ate. Then they heard the sound of God rustling on the garden breeze. Horror filled them for the first time — ever. Suddenly they knew the serpent was right about one thing. At that moment they knew good and evil, and they shuddered at the knowledge. Much later when their son Cain murdered their son Abel, they would know death; but not until then.
For Adam and Eve, the whole garden of God’s love had been theirs; but they traded it for thorns and toil. Love gave Adam and Eve the whole garden — except for one tree. The tree and its fruit were just the limit — the limit of love. Love which desired life and not death for Adam and Eve — for you and for me. Obedience freely given meant life, and disobedience meant death. Obedience was the center. Obedience, freely given, was what God wanted. All they had to do was obey. It’s what Jesus did.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Love in a Scriptural sense is not a soft, sentimental emotion. It is a deliberate act of my will. It means that I am willing to lay down my life, lay myself out, put myself out on behalf of another.” ~Phillip Keller~