Devotion:
Read Genesis 2:15-17.
Genesis 2 contains the second creation story, and these three verses tell us how God put Adam in the garden and gave him the responsibility to care for it. Adam was free to eat from any tree in the garden, except... Let’s not rush through an important point here. Adam was given wide latitude and freedom to choose what he would eat. There was plenty to choose from, and he had everything he needed. This condition was a kind of utopia! Then came the “except…” as God limited Adam from eating from only one particular tree, warning him that to do so would result in his death.
I do not like this warning and the story of disobedience that follows. Why is that? Because I can identify so closely with Adam, and most of us can if we are honest with ourselves. We are aware of what we have been given and realize that we have plenty. Then we learn of things we are not supposed to have or do, and an interesting thing happens. We begin to focus on those, and we often push the boundaries, testing and checking to see if the boundaries are real. This is our human nature. We cannot save ourselves from our desires and our tendencies to miss the mark. Only God can do that!
Personal Worship Option:
What temptations or testing are you facing in your life right now? These are opportunities to let our faith lead us in our choices and decisions. Pray for wisdom, strength, and determination to choose as God would have you choose.
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