Remember Eden

Scripture – Genesis 3:17-20: To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) Two things strike me here. For the first time names are mentioned. So now we have Adam and Eve. God doesn’t create generic people. He creates individuals. There is no one like me. The other thing I notice is that because of Adam’s disobedience, the ground is cursed. That, of course, has a great impact on Adam’s life. Now he’s going to have to work hard to get things to grow.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) That’s a hard lesson I keep forgetting. When I disobey God, my life gets harder. I’ll complain sometimes about different situations I face. At the same time, usually I’ve gotten myself into those situations. One of the benefits of trusting Christ to be the Director of my life is that He brings order to life. He sets priorities. He provides what I need. And I don’t have to worry about anything. I will practice living worry-free today. I’ll make this a “Garden of Eden” day.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, forgive me for not paying attention to you. You’re always there to take care of me. Always ready to provide for me. I just forget to trust you. I lean on myself. Remind me that even if I make a mess of things, you’ll help me clean it up. I don’t have to do that by myself. Thank you for that. Be my Lord this day.

An Invitation – If you’re interested in a face to face discussion about what we’ve been discovering in the Mini-Journal, a small group will be meeting this Sunday morning, 9:45 – 10:30am, at the Southgate Fun and Fitness Center (on Northline near I-75). Look for them around one of the tables in the Café area.