WE ALL FELL DOWN
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Romans 5:12 (NLT)
We don't live in Eden. You don't need me to tell you that. The cancer diagnosis, the broken relationships, the funerals, and your stress and anxiety levels scream at you that life is not the way God first ordered it to be. So, how did we get here?
Well, like every good story, the Bible has a villain. His name is Satan, and he seeks to destroy everything wonderful God has made. He hates God, and because he couldn't overthrow God, he went after the next best thing: humans made in God's image. He approached Eve in the form of a serpent and twisted God's words to create the perception that God was holding out on them. She fell for his lie that the alluring fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had put off limits, would taste good and make her like God.
So, Eve took the fruit, ate it and then gave some to Adam, who did the same. They immediately saw that they were naked and felt ashamed and exposed, so they scrambled to make coverings for themselves. In fear, they hid themselves from the God they were made to enjoy. The sweet, unrestricted relationship they'd had with God was now broken.
Their rebellion not only broke their relationship with God, but it also fractured their relationship with each other. Adam blamed Eve for giving him the fruit, and Eve blamed the serpent for deceiving her. Accusations, distrust and division became a normal part of human relationships that day.
The fallout continued into creation itself. The ground produced thorns and thistles. Weeds crept in amongst the beauty. Darkness carried a new heaviness with it, and animals turned dangerous.
On top of shame, broken relationships, and the tainting of creation, another great tragedy shook the world that day. Death. Adam and Eve didn't physically die upon eating the fruit, but they did experience spiritual death in their relationship with God, and the clock started ticking until they'd experience physical death.
Their disobedience shattered the perfect world God had created, which is how we ended up living in a sinful, fallen world so different from Eden. But God is too good to let this be the end of the story.
APPLICATION: How does knowing this story help you make sense of the brokenness you see in the world?
PRAYER: God, thank You that the story isn't over and that You love to pick us up when we fall. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?